Swansea MA Rural Residential?

[simplifylife]

Hello Everyone.. I checked the wonderful listing on city ordinances posted in this section and didn't find anything listed for my town. I have searched all over the internet with nothing coming up on zoning regulations. Ironically we are an old farming community but there is a lot of built up land here, more suburban now than anything else. I ended up having to call the Building Department of all places to find out what I could about my zoning. I was told I am zoned Rural Residential. I inquired as to where I would be able to see a description of what that entailed and was told I could leave a message for the building inspector who would return my call (after being told it wouldn't be a quick return call he would get to it as he could after being out of town until this Friday). *sighs*

I have a feeling rural residential will somehow exclude my desire to have three hens in my backyard. Any tips on where I can find this information out other than the Building Inspector? Somehow or another it must be available in public format. I've even searched for State of Massachusetts zoning laws after seeing some search results stating that towns adopted their zoning regulations from the state definitions. No results. I've searched Swansea Mass city ordinances.. nothing.

Thanks a bunch in advance if you can point me in any direction at all!! I used to farm in NH several years ago and belonged to this group way back then.. but after a divorce and forced relocation to suburban mass I gave up the thought of doing anything like this ever again. Recently I've begun looking for ways to incorporate sustainable living in a suburban environment and thought.. I will have CHICKENS AGAIN! I'm determined.. let's pray that I can make it happen.

Take care,
Nancie

 

[simplifylife]

It's official.. We were given permission today to have 3 or so backyard hens! I am picking bantams, as they are more pet like. Building Inspector said today it's a gray area for our Rural Residential Zoning... there is no real definition (I find this odd but hey who knows)... so a lot of families do it. He said no problems and that if he has a complaint he would need to be sure the coop is sanitary but other than that he is 100% in support of our doing it!

OMG I AM BESIDE MYSELF!!!

YIPEE!!

 

[Carin]

If possible get it on paper!

 

[simplifylife]

Excellent idea Carin.. thank you!

 

[CutlassL29]

Hello there! New to this forum and wanting to get a few chickens in Swansea, MA. With the town, was there any fees or anything official you had to sign? I know this is an older post but if you're still active with the site could you please give a little more info as to what you went through with the town. You mentioned they gave you permission to get a few chickens. Was that just verbal? Did you have to wait for our selectmen approved it? I'm zoned commercial B resisential. Any help your experience with the town of Swansea would be appreciated.
How did your chickens do through this crazy winter here? Hope they made out well with all the storms we got the last several weeks.
Thanks

 

[simplifylife]

MSG me.. whereabouts in town do you live? You may already be all set for zoning without knowing it. I am definitely in a more suburban area, however we are still zoned rural residential...we don't have any commercial zoning for our neighborhood. Anyways I simply called the building inspector and asked if it was ok. There is nothing in writing, no fees, didn't have to go before the selectmen. He stopped by, asked what I wanted to do and told me how it's a gray area in our zoning laws. There are no rules against it but it hasn't been specifically written in that we have granted permission to do so. We are still zoned rural residential, so unless someone complains there is nothing he will do about it. He also stated that as long as we were clean and and didn't keep any roosters that he wouldn't listen to any complaints.

I've also called him about our ability to front yard veggie gardens.. He secretary called back to let me know that's totally fine too. I'm starting to think the BI thinks I've gone over the edge...lol Good luck.. again feel free to msg me....

 

[puds011010]

Well, fancy meeting other Swansea residents on here! My wife and I are in the process of planning to get chickens for our home this spring. We're likely in the rural zoning area, a minute down the road from Simcock Farm. I had a friend advise getting Buff Orpingtons because of their ability to withstand cold and friendliness - we have a 3 year old and an infant who will both be enamored with the chickens come warm weather time. Any other thoughts on a good breed for the area? I'm a chicken noob.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Well, fancy meeting other Swansea residents on here! My wife and I are in the process of planning to get chickens for our home this spring. We're likely in the rural zoning area, a minute down the road from Simcock Farm. I had a friend advise getting Buff Orpingtons because of their ability to withstand cold and friendliness - we have a 3 year old and an infant who will both be enamored with the chickens come warm weather time. Any other thoughts on a good breed for the area? I'm a chicken noob.

If you plan on roosters and don't want to see them lose parts of comb and wattles to frostbite then stick with a rose or pea comb bird. I'm much further north than you and my single comb hens don't get frostbite, only the roosters. We keep Plymouth Rocks, Orpingtons were made so England had a national bird like the Plymouth Rock. Excellent dual purpose bird with great temperment. Come in a many varieties of colors, silver pencil, partridge, buff, blue, columbian and the barred. Very good layers.

Recommended rose comb breed is Wyandotte. They come in a large variety of colors and are good to very good layers. Dominique is another rose comb breed in cuckoo pattern, good layer.

Pea comb there is Brahma, gentle giants of chickens. Good layers, available in Dark, light and buff varieties. Arauracana and Easter Eggers are pea comb, blue egg layers.

Here is Hendersons Breed Chart that tells a bit about many different breeds:
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html