poll: are you legal or an outlaw?

[wholewheatchicken]

Legal, unless the neighbors complain.....not sure what that means and hope we don't have to find out.

 

[SueBaby]

Put me in the bad mother clucker file- I'm one chicken over my limit of 6.

 

[mrsbrcant]

Outlaw and busted! Just turned in by a neighbor of unknown identity after nine years. We are currently in a polite discussion with the city as to the definition of a small bird to which I am entitled to have six. Our birds are tiny little parrot sized bantams (seramas and oegb, 4H project). We concede that we have more than six and are willing to reduce our number to conform to the code but so far the city says our bantams are not small birds but instead are poultry. There is no code that says we can't have poultry but the city says that since the code doesn't say we can have chickens it means we can't have them. I am extremely confused. I always thought a chicken was a bird and if a parrot is considered small, I thought a parrot sized chicken would also be considered small. And I never knew you could ban something just by not having a law that allows it. With that logic, since frogs are not mentioned in the code as allowed household pets, I should not be allowed to have a pet frog.

In the meantime we have until the end of the month to get rid of our chickens. We are moving our birds (They have feathers and wings and lay eggs so I am pretty sure they really are birds) to my brother's house where chickens are legal while we continue our discussion. If we lose our case, we will have to change our 4H poultry project to a pigeon project. I will miss our chickens but we are legally allowed 100 pedigree banded racing pigeons if we join a racing club and if the city would rather us have 100 pigeons instead of six small bantam chickens then so be it.

Anyone in San Diego county wanting some old english game bantams (bbred, showable), some other random bantams and two old layers let me know. We would like to find homes for some of them.

 

[johnsons-r-us]

Quote:
Incredible

How stupid is that! I would be so frustrated as I'm sure you are! I don't usually use the *S* word, but couldn't help it this time. Surely you will get your chickens back

 

[SueBaby]

mrsbrcant, I can't believe that Escondido is working you that way! I taught out there for years and was always under the impression that they embraced their farming roots. I am so disappointed to hear this. Stinky, stinky!

Can your birds stay at school since they are a 4H project?

 

[mrsbrcant]

Escondido is surprisingly anti-animal. They don't make it easy for anyone in the incorporated areas to have animals. The code enforcement officer told us we could try a conditional use permit for our birds but his boss told him that they are notoriously anti-chicken and he didn't think we would have much luck. It also costs over a thousand dollars to apply for the permit and I don't think I should have to pay to have an animal that I think I am legally allowed to have.

They don't actively hunt down chicken owners here, code enforcement is mostly on a complaint basis only but if you have one neighbor that thinks you shouldn't have chickens and turns you in, they come after you with all of their nonexistent laws.

Escondido likes to think it is this sophisticated urban wine & cheese art mecca and I think they are a little embarrassed about their farming roots.

We are not sure about the schools since none of our kids are in high school where they could join FFA.

We will continue to pursue the matter while keeping our birds in Lakeside. We aren't giving up yet and if we don't win this round, eventually the entire backyard chicken army will descend on Escondido and make them change. They are the ones fighting the losing battle.

 

[ProudNewChickenMommy86]

As Far As I Know I'm Legal. I'm On My Own Private 5 Acres On My Private Drive In My Private Neighborhood (if You Wanna Call It A Neighborhood). Outside The City Limits. But If I Am Breaking The Law... Oh Well, Sue Me. Lol. I Aint Gettin Rid Of My Chickens! Call Me A Cluckin Outlaw For All I Care. Lol.

 

[mrsbrcant]

This makes perfect sense to me!

Quote:

 

[I-Have-Happy-Hens]

I am legal with the hens but I have two roosters soon to be three, but all of the people who can here them have either a big barking dog or Play the drums really really loud so its kind of a trade off

Happy-Hens

 

[cbohn80]

Quote:

i agree but i doubt judges will see it that way