Research for a City Council Member

[Torch404]

Some cities require full inspections before you can have any chickens. Which seems to be a hastle and meant to deter people from having chickens. You should check out other cities in the Law section and see what other cities are doing, good or bad. Although I expect you'll mostly read the bad ordinances but that would give you an idea of where some failing in those ordinances are. Good luck!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

6 chickens is a common restriction for city ordinances. And let's be honest with this, if your a family of four and your birds are giving you half a dozen plus eggs a week each then that's a lot of eggs for a family in city limits to eat, 3 dozen per week. Selling eggs is not really what people in city limits are trying to do but they get caught up with chickens and want more of them and then don't want to butcher older birds so need even more to have eggs...it's an endless cycle.

Coops I believe should be required. It's for the protection of the birds when roosting at night. If a person can't figure or build a protected space to house birds at night then that person isn't even going to be concerned with fencing in their yard and will allow their birds to roam others properties or even into the road. This is exactly the thing nobody wants and gives chickens and chicken owners a bad name.

All these types of things are a base ordinance in many cities. You'll be well off to randomly pick cities and google their "poultry ordinance". They'll fall in the same guidelines as dogs which can't be allowed to roam. Must be maintained so the animals are healthy and there isn't an odor. Noise ordinances is the other consideration. This is why cities don't want roosters. 25' from property lines is a good guideline. Hens are not loud but when about to lay can make a ruckus. This put the coop away from property where others may want to sit in the sun and read. The noise will be by then in coop as they prepare to lay in nest.

You'll find overbearing ordinances that say you can't butcher your own bird. That's rediculus and makes so a person has to break the ordinance to get more eggs from good younger laying birds. Ordinances that say all bedding, waste must be disposed of in sealed containers to be sent to dump. This is sad too. There are such things as compost piles and they don't stink with pine shaving bedding and chicken poop. It's the over control and dumb codes that don't take into account reality. Remember, chickens are not dirty disease spreading things that must be monitored and waste or remains considered hazardous.

Besides other city codes research disease from chickens and things of that nature. Show how safe they are. An educated public is a group that doesn't pass law out of fear. Or so we hope.

 

[MixedFowl]

Thank you so much! Your info is so helpful!

 

[Blooie]

Since each community differs in setback requirements, noise and sanitation issues, this would be a good place for you to start your research. It gives that information for towns, cities,and municipalities all over the country.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/37/local-chicken-laws-ordinances-and-how-to-change-them

Oh, and for the record, chickens are not considered "domesticated birds" in the definition of ordinances and such, despite how we feel about our chickens, ducks, etc. In that sense, they are referring to birds normally kept in the residence....parrots, parakeets, etc. (And yes, I know some people keep their chickens in the house, but that's an exception - not a commonly followed practice.)

I agree..your vice principal should be applauded for wanting to get the most up to date information possible to take to the council in order to look at changing the ordinances. And you should be proud that you were asked to help. I just ended my tenure on our local town council following a term on Planning and Zoning.

Edited to add the link to our town's requirements for poultry.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/cowley-wyoming

 

[MixedFowl]

Thank you again for everything. Now that I know where to start it be so much easier to do my research. Thanks!

 

[wayner123]

Oh, and for the record, chickens are not considered "domesticated birds" in the definition of ordinances and such, despite how we feel about our chickens, ducks, etc. In that sense, they are referring to birds normally kept in the residence....parrots, parakeets, etc. (And yes, I know some people keep their chickens in the house, but that's an exception - not a commonly followed practice.)

I understand where you are coming from, but that is simply not the case in this situation. The ordinance is spelled out and defined. The council/comission can't, on a whim, decide what is and what isn't domesticated. A municipality must have spelled out definitions OR explain that such definitions are left to the interpretation of said city council member, commissioner, etc. I too applaud the vice principal, but to go about introducing restrictions, when there are none in place at this time is not something I would recommend.