town looking to outlaw chickens on monday!

[neVar]

Exactly. They are totally legal right now. I had a by law
Enforcement officer friend check for me before we ever built our coop. It's just that Monday it might be made illegal. Oh even more fun this town has no rules on what is required to pass
A by law from what me or my lawyer can find.

 

[chicktwins]

If I were you I would take this time to find as many people as you can who own chickens in the area or aren't opposed to owning them and all of you get together and GO!! Invite the scouts troop!! You need as much of a presence as possible and whoever cannot attend should write a letter. If no one shows up to fight this it will pass immediately and never be fought. Much better to fight something and have it in the minutes of the meeting that this was fought tooth and nail than to wait until it is passed and then try to fight it. They will just come back to you and say you had the opportunity to do something and you fell short of that when given the original opportunity. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!! Good Luck and I am subscribing!!

 

[neVar]

well i didn't go- for several reasons. Rooster has found a home (with in 24 hours of the complaint). So far we're a week past the meeting and no one has contacted me to say the bylaw has changed. I did send a letter including several bylaws from larger cities allowing chickens. Anyway the main reason (other then not being able to be there) for being ok with not going was this. The town has a whole bunch of bigger fish to fry. IF i show up- the issue has to be delt with. If they just get told the roo is gone- with an election the next day, 1/2 a town wanting to lynch them for the water issues. ... chickens are low on the must be delt with list.

So far it seems this approach has worked.

 

[LiLRedCV]

Quote:
Glad it has worked out so far (to your knowledge), but it probably won't forever! Keep up the work... see if you can find other chicken people in your immediate area who would also be affected and ban together! If it helps? Even in Seattle city limits you can have chickens (no roo's tho'!). Worse comes to worst? Maybe you could get "grandfathered" in since you were legal prior to their potentially passing the ordinance, but to do so you'll probably need to keep up your campaign (even if it's the same old letter each and every time)!

 

[neVar]

OK so today got a letter from the town. "Council has been faced with a few complaints from neighboring property owners regarding the noise of the rooster and the appearance of vermin since the chickens have come into Town.

We would like to thank you, first of all, for removing the rooster as he was the biggest part of most of the complaints. Thee is still concern, however, that the chickens may be attracting, skunks, badgers and weasels. Council is not ready to outright outlaw chickens at this point but are doing futher exploration into the current animal control bylaw."

Im then invited to come watch the next meeting whee they expect it will be discussed further.


OK so i dunno- but i haven't seen ANY vermin (OK that's a lie i think a mouse got into my grass seed in my shed which is on the other side of the property) no droppings, no attempts into the cage, no dead animals, dogs haven't caught anything etc etc.

We have seen a bunker year of small predators in this area- the farm where i keep my horses a few miles away has had more fox then normal, and the coyotes are FAT in this area. A dry dry summer has led to great crops and the gophers are just plentiful all over the place . Raccoons are seen on the highways (I counted 4 today coming home) between here and the city (15 minute drive)

The most fun thing is i only have TWO neighbours. ONe the house has been an empty lot for the last 6 months. and the other side the people have 8 dogs (that would be 5 over the limit) and haven't said boo to me. I have however had to return their cat numerous times this summer after rescuing it out of my tree (front yard no where near the chickens)

 

[chicktwins]

Ok so I would have an animal science person write in a letter all the reasons (climate, better crops, etc.) that more animals such as badger, weasel, skunk would be more plentiful this year. Making a point to say it is not because a few chickens moved into the area. Also make sure to say you have noticed no increase in any animals visiting your property so if it were because of the chickens you would have had attacks and losses and have had none. You have noticed no tracks, feces, etc giving any indication of such animals in your immediate vicinity. I would also have someone with authority, say maybe an Animal Control Officer, come and document that you keep everything picked up and clean so no offensive odors, etc are being caused by your few chickens causing any reason for complaint since rehoming the rooster and you are with in your rights to keep/house them on your property for the following reasons. Reasons being they provide a fresh source of eggs to your family as well as others you may provide with fresh eggs, they make great pets and are a part of your family just like any dog or cat, they are now used (just as dogs) as therapy animals to handicapped people and provide stress relief when needed, etc. Go armed and ready with every reason under the sun as to why chickens aren't just livestock anymore to thousands of people all over the world. Be so sickening sweet they cannot help but understand why you keep them and maybe some will walk away wanting chickens of their own. Kill em with kindness is always my first go to plan and most of the time it works. When it doesnt............go balls to the wall on them.