Proposing ordinance to council.

[Lurch77]

I will be proposing allowing BYCs to our local city council next month. I have done a ton of research and will have a lot of information to support my case for them. Below are the main points of an ordinance I would like to see. It is roughly the average of what you see from most Wisconsin cities that already allow chickens. The one exception is most cities allow up to 4 birds. I am recommending 6 maximum. Our only local source for chicks is Tractor Supply, and they have a 6 chick minimum when purchasing. Plus I figure go high and if they object then negotiate less. But do you think going after 6 will just turn them off right away and cause loss of support? We are in a small city (pop. 4500) with many homes in close proximity to one another. I don't want uniformed and prejudice people thinking I am trying to start a hobby farm ordinance. Please share your opinion.

• No roosters (they are where any noise complaints would come from)
• No slaughtering
• 6 hens maximum (this is a common minimum order when purchasing chicks)
• A roofed coop and fencing required
• No free roaming chickens, must be fenced/confined at all times
• Coop must be a minimum of 25’ from nearest neighbor living quarters
• All other current animal ordinances apply, including cleaning up after animals, neglect, animals at large, etc.

 

[themidnightmama]

Best of luck to you at the meeting.

I noticed you mentioned a "no slaughtering" condition. What do you propose would be done with the hens after they are finished laying eggs? There is also the obstacle of chicks that turn into roosters, since it is very difficult to tell what a chick will be.

I am asking because I'm working on an ordinance for my own city, and I foresee these being challenges. I'd love to know how you'd approach these objections since you are further down the path than me. thanks!

 

[Lurch77]

Those are good questions. I put the no slaughter clause in there because that is what nearly every other urban ordinance includes. During my research I found one of the reservations people had were that they didn't want to look out their window and see that process. Our city also doesn't allow skinning of deer and other hunted animals. But people do it inside their closed garages all the time. I suspect if this passes it would be the same. But I found that what some people in other cities do is keep them until they die (as pets), take them out of the city limits to slaughter (friend, relative, etc), or give them away to someone that would want them.

As for the chicks that turn into roosters, that is something the owner needs to consider. Roosters are almost always a deal breaker. You just cannot do it in the close quarters of a city without complaints. It is easy to buy pullets (all female) from hatcheries and even places like Tractor Supply. If you somehow do get a rooster, you'll need to find it a new home. That's common place in nearly all urban chicken ordinances.

 

[AndrewJD]

It looks like you've done your homework and you're making a reasonable proposal. If you can swing it, try to bring someone knowledgeable about chickens who can attest to the fact that hens aren't a nuisance the way roosters can be. A lot of people simply don't know how chickens are.

My city has 65,000 people and permits 5 hens per single-family dwelling. If you want more, you must apply for a conditional use permit. So, I think 6 could be a reasonable starting point. Feel them out. As with any negotiation, see if you can understand their interests and concerns and come up with mutually beneficial solutions. If 6 sounds like a lot, maybe go with 4, but provide that a resident could get a conditional use permit if they wanted more. Perhaps the permit requirements would just be consent of neighbors, a reasonable inspection of the premises, and maybe a fee. Cities love to collect permit fees.

If you haven't already, I'd recommend trying to meet one-on-one with members of the city council to feel out their support or opposition.

Good luck!