Protesting backyard chickens as cruelty

[Snakey]

So I stumbled onto this website that promotes animal welfare, but they are against keeping any livestock at homes!
http://www.upc-online.org/backyard/

Here is one of their petitions to keep chickens illegal:
http://www.change.org/petitions/pre...ard-livestock-and-animal-slaughter-in-oakland
Read the comments too.


I just don't know what to think of this. I mean, aren't the animals better off close to us than they are in a factory farm or battery cage? I'm interested to know what y'all make of it...

 

[CluckyCharms]

So I stumbled onto this website that promotes animal welfare, but they are against keeping any livestock at homes!
http://www.upc-online.org/backyard/

Here is one of their petitions to keep chickens illegal:
http://www.change.org/petitions/pre...ard-livestock-and-animal-slaughter-in-oakland
Read the comments too.


I just don't know what to think of this. I mean, aren't the animals better off close to us than they are in a factory farm or battery cage? I'm interested to know what y'all make of it...

Methinks they need to either remove the stick or pop a valium - both work.

I agree with not allowing unregulated chicken ownership in city limits. There should be rules and ordinances to follow in an urban environment. I finally learned my lesson that if I want roosters and to breed chickens I need to get my bohonkus out of the city and into the country. That being said - petitioning for NO chicken ownership at all is just absurd (my opinion).

Pretty soon we'll all be living in a plastic bubble with plastic furniture, eating plastic food and owning plastic pets that don't poo.

 

[olefarmersdaughter]

These are petitions by people who will say anything negative to sensationalize their beliefs. Animal rights fanatics.......hopefully no sane-minded individuals will be influences by their crap....

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I think that if you hold the belief that killing and eating animals is cruel then I could understand thinking that keeping animals for meat is abuse. I don't personally hold that belief or agree but I don't think it is an irrational point of view. I don't think they are saying that chickens are better off in batteries, they are saying that chickens shouldn't be slaughtered at all.

Extremists are never the best self promoters and are rarely able to win favor but I respect rational people who take a stand for their beliefs even if they are not my own. Not sure where these particular groups fit in, but I am not offended if vegans think I am not kind to my animals - according to their belief system I am not.

 

[Squeaky McMurdo]

I did have to chuckle at that cartoon at the bottom

 

[localri]

We had a similar group come to speak at our City Council meeting this past Monday night. The funny thing is that from what they were saying, it was clear that they never even read our proposed ordinance. The goal of our ordinance was to set guidelines for responsible backyard chicken keeping. We are the ones trying to do it RIGHT and they want to keep us from doing so. Crazy.

The city of Providence, RI also had resistance from the same group in 2010. When we contacted the Providence Animal Control Officer regarding success or failure of chickens in Providence backyards. He said issues were minimal and he considered the Providence Ordinance a success. That's a little different story than that of these extremists that are claiming that animal control shelters are becoming overrun with backyard chickens.

BYW, here's a link to our ordinance.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7jzQJ-IQL5RcjAzd0VJenQ4d1E/edit

 

[Eggronomic]

Only in todays world would an animal controll shelter become over run with food. Build a coup out back the shelter and feed the dogs fresh eggs and chicken. Sounds like a win for the shelter to me!

Then again a lot of people think it odd that a large part of my two dogs diets consist of raw chicken! That I have to pay for!

 

[Leesuu2]

We had a similar group come to speak at our City Council meeting this past Monday night. The funny thing is that from what they were saying, it was clear that they never even read our proposed ordinance. The goal of our ordinance was to set guidelines for responsible backyard chicken keeping. We are the ones trying to do it RIGHT and they want to keep us from doing so. Crazy.

The city of Providence, RI also had resistance from the same group in 2010. When we contacted the Providence Animal Control Officer regarding success or failure of chickens in Providence backyards. He said issues were minimal and he considered the Providence Ordinance a success. That's a little different story than that of these extremists that are claiming that animal control shelters are becoming overrun with backyard chickens.

BYW, here's a link to our ordinance.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7jzQJ-IQL5RcjAzd0VJenQ4d1E/edit

Your ordinance is so thorough and really shows that someone that understands the needs of a small flock was instrumental in creating it. I am in Delaware - the chicken industry is huge here. I am afraid that these "big guys" (think Perdue, and Morning Star) will cause our state government to over supervise the "small guys" and make it impossible to have a few hens for eggs or pets here in Delaware. Hope I'm wrong......

 

[localri]

Your ordinance is so thorough and really shows that someone that understands the needs of a small flock was instrumental in creating it. I am in Delaware - the chicken industry is huge here. I am afraid that these "big guys" (think Perdue, and Morning Star) will cause our state government to over supervise the "small guys" and make it impossible to have a few hens for eggs or pets here in Delaware. Hope I'm wrong......

The Director of the Division of Agriculture and the State Veterinarian here in RI were great advocates for us. It also helped to have input from those in Providence that had successfully worked towards legalization in 2010. Are there any cities or towns in Delaware that are legal yet? Do you have something on the books know that prevents you from keeping chickens?

 

[jessa]

Hi,

I work at farm sanctuary and oppose the urban hens trend-but am far from the fanatical (and other adjectives used above) animal activists you've described.

There is a very logical and necessary reason to oppose urban hens.

First off-most city people simple do not know how to take care of hens. Our sanctuary gets 30 calls a week-that is not an exaggeration- from people who no longer want the hens and do not feel comfortable killing them, have to move houses, didn't realized the hens live past egg laying years, or oops--their chick ended up a rooster. Our sanctuary is absolutely overrun with hens and roosters, yet still the calls keep coming.

Yes-it is more humane to keep the hens in yard than factory farms, no denying this. But there is unfortunately a dark side to trend. One simply being-with every hen, there was a male chick who was killed. And as many "good" chicken caretakers- there are many who don't know what they're doing and the hens are ill, neglected, don't have enough room, etc etc. Furthermore-hens attract rats, mice, raccoons, coyotes, etc. In my neighborhood, we've had a substantial increase in rats in the last 4 years due to the chickens in everyone's yards.

I could go on, but won't take up more time!

Urban hens seem like a neat trend-but there's more than meets the eye and I encourage everyone to visit a local sanctuary or do more research before you jump to conclusions. thanks.