In Orlando Fl and Maitland FL they have a set number of hens you can keep with a permit and strict regulations. But you always have some people that want to push the envelope because 4 isn't enough.
The main thing to remember is not everyone wants to have chickens next door. the poo smell, the noise the flies, etc. and they may tolerate them, accept the free eggs etc. TILL the rooster arrives or the hens become loud.. Once you truly affect their quality of life, as an example: roosters crow average 3-4 times an hour, sometimes as early as 4am. now the neighbor has to be at work at 8-9am or they just got home from working the 3rd shift the last thing they want to hear is loud clucking or crowing and their going to get upset and they may come to you first and complain, but normally they just call zoning, their attorney, the HOA etc. and set the ball rolling..
Many residents chose to live in neighborhoods and not next to a farm for a reason. I have seen this occur more than once. I have even seen neighbors, family members, friends that have a falling out report those who have chickens take photos and give the photos to the zoning officer and then say zoning threatened them or cohered them so the neighbor, family member, friend doesn't have the chicken owner retaliate against them because they were forced to help Big Brother. For the neighbor they will still have to live next door to the violator.. Zoning may not have known the chickens were there, but once the complaint is made they start their investigation. If an officer drives by and sees chickens roaming where they shouldn't be they know a violation exists and this sets the ball rolling.
You need to talk to your zoning officer, you cant take what other people tell you about what zoning will do or wont do unless they work in the zoning dept where you live.
Many folks feel if enough people get chickens and tell the cities or counties to shove their laws/ordinances, that they will beable to have chickens. This never works out well. The anti government folks like to use their own comprehension of the constitution as it relates to what ever their cause is & will yell and scream about their Rights, Freedoms & personal liberties. They have a right to feed their families and owning chickens is their rite! Again this doesn't end well.
I have seen headlines on the internet on cases where the fines issued, and the homeowner gets an attorney and it goes to county court for appeal and the argument "since everybody else is doing it why cant I is used". The judge uses the example so if everyone else is jumping from a perfectly good bridge your going to jump too? pay the fines + court costs, Next case..
I have seen people get rid of their chickens till the case was closed and no fines were issued, only to bring them back and the officer Cites the property owner as a repeat offender and files for magistrate. So fines are issued then when the fowl are removed the fines stop. If the property owner repeats the violation with in 5yrs. the fine becomes the maximum amount allowed per day by that juristiction. The fines differ from location to location.
Blooie & I have given you some good advice, and others may chime in positively or negatively.. But in the end your the one holding the bag and you have as of today. If I have read your original post correctly 8 days have passed, since the zoning officers 10 day to remove request was given. I'm not sure what your fine will be? they normally range from $50 to $500 a day. And support groups are not going to step forward and pay your fines, they will however offer moral support, but their going to keep their wallets close to themselves that's just reality.
I wish you the best of luck through this..
