ROXBURY, NJ changes local chicken ordinances!

[Flaca Chick]

Our 3 daughters are in a 4-H poultry club. Last year, a neighbor forced us to get rid of our 3 hens before they ever laid a single egg. The following week, they were taken by a fox, from the farm they were sent to.

This year, after learning of a petition sent to our town council, our children dressed in their 4-H shirts and made a presentation before the mayor and town council. We got a special 4-H exemption! Here's the article from the local paper.

http://newjerseyhills.com/roxbury_r...cle_cf5ff478-9f6d-11e1-a6bc-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[Kikiriki]

Hurray for you! I do have a suggestion, though...

Document your experience with good record keeping: costs, site plan, egg output, and whatever else you can think of. Make a video of husbandry including waste composting and the use for plants...start each clip with the date written on a poster and let your girls talk through what they do. For example, have them add compost for one seedling and not another, then compare growth each week.

Have the girls interview a neighbor who doesnt mind the chickens, and maybe even one who does so the girls can address those complaints directly. For example, if the neighbor says he can smell the chickens after a rain, the girls can explain how the use of that zeolite product...Sweet something... works to absorb odor without being harmful to the chickens (it was even studied as a food additive).

Once the chickens have proven to be a non problem (after a few months or a year) use that to pursue getting the ordinace changed so that you can have them even if your girls stop doing 4-H.

 

[Kittyf]

Sweet PDZ is the product - we love it here in SoCal!

And congrats - Kirikiri's suggestions sound great, and your girls sound like terrific kids.

Kate

 

[dmrs FREEDOM]

Sorry, no one is able to make anyone do anything...a 'woe is me' attitude begetts nothing fruitful. Town laws are set, and obviously through this newsletter/article, the law had changed... and thank GOD! According to this, you received only an EXEMPTION through 4H to raise chickens in less than 1/3 acre (Roxbury just changed to 1/3 of an acre from 5 acres) ... You did not change the law. You seem to have an issue with neigbor(s) whom you are obviously having a problem with even before this.
Since I have been on both sides of the fence in Roxbury NJ, with neighbors having too many animals or animal problems... the law works ... and thank GOD! . Good luck with your chickens and hopefully ALL of your neighbors., following protocall and and having your chickens all in row (so to speak) will help... Just do the right thing and all will work out the right way . By the way... how many do you actually have???? Your exemption calls for only 3... I see other posts that suggest otherwise.
Just watching and making sure freedom is not abused... hence my name.