The City Ordinances Were Changed Out From Under Me!****UPDATE*********

[Break an Egg]

I got a notice this morning that it is unlawful to keep any fowl at my residence, but before I got any chickens I checked the ordinance and it said up to 10 as long as they are housed 25 ft away from a residence.

This ordinance was changed as of 3-01-07 and I got chickens around 03-20-08 but they never updated the ordinance until recently.

The notice says that our rooster is being a nuisance, but when I called animal control they said I have to get rid of any hens too.

I know for a fact that my neighbors do not mind my rooster, and unfortunately our backyard butts up with city services and animal control.

I am heartbroken at the thought of having to give up all of my chickens. One is blind in one eye and needs me to make sure she eats.

I have no idea what we are going to do.

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After careful consideration, and an add on craigslist, I found a really nice lady who will take most of them in. I say most because I am trying to work with the city manager to let me keep three of my hens. My first three, they are very close to our family's heart. I wrote the city manager a letter and I will be depositing it to her tommorow wish me luck everyone!!!!!

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I am so sorry to hear you have to give up your birds - I wish I lived closer I would give a few of them a home and provide a safe place for your little blind in one eye one -- but I am in Clovis New Mexico.

Is there anyway you can fight to keep them ?? think of a loop hole in the new law that will allow you to keep the hens but rehome the roo ?

 

[spook]

contact sea bird, her little girl did fight city hall. Impressive story and get written statements from your neighbors and ask if they will back you up at a town meeting! Give your hens away for future possibility to bring them home. Do you have proof of paper work saying 10 birds is you limit, if you don't, search the local town library or historical "minutes". Breath deep, and again, start with getting your girls and boys safe so they cannot remove them.
Good luck, I'm certain other folks would be more knowledgeable then I and once they get in from work, you will be flooded with wise ideas. I am sooo sorry to hear of your heart break and disasterous situation.
Does the town property have over night people living there? Do the dogs at the shelter bark? Does it cause an odor? Go over and sniff on a really hot or rainy day, can they smell your yard (smells better then the sewer treatment plant !) , then ask when this law went into effect and why wasn't you notified, these birds were not a secret.
Grrrr- Politics. Like your rooster is going to go out and chew the crap out of the kids riding by on their bikes. Please, keep us posted and if I lived near you, it would be an honor to hang onto your birds for you until you can win city hall!
Hugs to you!
~Kel

 

[redhen]

.maybe start walking your neighborhood..asking the neighbors to sign a petition for you..

..i feel bad for you!!

...if it were me..i'd probably bring the chickens in my house...i wouldnt let them take them......i'd tell them...

....espically since they didnt update the laws until now!..(thats just low down!!).........there would be a chicken hostage situation..

..i'd get media coverage....

...get the people on my side.."poor blind chicken..etc.."...those stinkers!..i'm sorry you have to go through this!..best wishes..Wendy

 

[Break an Egg]

Thanks everyone, we are going to see if we can in some way be grandfathered since they waited until now to update the info. I really hope we can atleast keep the hens.

Spook, that is a good point, I have no idea why I wasn't notified until now. It's not like my rooster hasn't been crowing or months.

Thanks everyone for the support. i am really in pieces

 

[kinnip]

Sometimes I just don't understand what makes a person want to tell other people what to do, for a living. I hope you keep those girls, and show your local "for the people by the people"

jerks what the people really want!

 

[redoak]

good luck, you should fight it and say you checked before you got the chickens and the ordiance wasn't updated. People should not be held accountable for "secret" laws that are not on the books because of they were not updated.