Transitioning from roofed to roofless run

[NatJ]

All I had was some pine shavings, and I did lay down a whole bunch, just didn't have enough to cover the whole area.

You might already know this, but snow on the ground melts faster than snow under wood shavings or straw or something. If you keep putting stuff on top of the snow all winter, the whole pile will take longer to melt in the spring.

You might still want to cover the snow to keep the chickens happier in winter, but I just don't want you to be surprised if all the other snow has melted and you still have a shavings-covered glacier in the chicken run

 

[K0k0shka]

You might already know this, but snow on the ground melts faster than snow under wood shavings or straw or something. If you keep putting stuff on top of the snow all winter, the whole pile will take longer to melt in the spring.

You might still want to cover the snow to keep the chickens happier in winter, but I just don't want you to be surprised if all the other snow has melted and you still have a shavings-covered glacier in the chicken run

Good to know, thanks! When I put the shavings down the other day, I cleared the snow in that area first, so they didn't go on top of the snow. I'll keep it in mind if we get snow again. We don't get snow often anymore, and when we do, it doesn't stick around for long. Good for the chickens, sad for the kids.

 

[K0k0shka]

GOOD NEWS

The town’s health department just voted to pass the revisions to the animal keeping regulations and specifically exclude chickens! So chickens are not to be regulated, and the 150-foot setback rule does not apply to them! YES! The deadline for my corrections order was tomorrow, and the revisions don’t take effect for another two weeks (transitional period), so I’m still in limbo for two weeks, but the Board then also voted to change the non-compliance fine from $500/day to $1/day, so I wouldn’t have to keep the chickens in the basement! How amazing is that? I love my town! I thanked them profusely and they were touched, and genuinely happy for me. This is why I’ve always been nice to town officials and hidden my frustrations with them, even though this process took way too long and cost me way too much. It really paid off. They literally rewrote town law to get me out of this situation (and spare others my fate), in the midst of a year like this. They thanked me routinely throughout this half a year for being so kind and easy to work with (not always the case, lots of angry folks out there). I did fight hard for this, but I won them over with kindness, unlike my neighbor, who really put them off with his aggression and intimidation (of them, not just of me). That’s why I’m still super nice to the zoning department, too, even though they led me on about the run build. I don’t want to turn them against me. It’s just easier and more likely to get what you want if you go about it nicely and appeal to people’s humanity (those who have it, at least).

I wanted to be in compliance for tomorrow so, not knowing how the vote would turn out, I prepped the basement over the weekend and moved the chickens in there tonight. I am SO relieved that this part of the battle is finally over, and that I can enjoy my chickens, out in their run where they belong!

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Congratulations! I've been following your story with interest. I'm so glad it turned out well for you.

 

[bobbi-j]

Great news! Thanks for the update.

 

[RainbowHen]

Wonderful news!

 

[Folly's place]

Fantastic!
Mary

 

[K0k0shka]

Thanks everybody! I still can't have a roof on the run, but at least the chickens being in the run is no longer a problem, so that's a big win. Meanwhile I ordered a third patio umbrella and will make a "roof" out of side by side umbrellas. Let them challenge that!

 

[Folly's place]

Now you'll need more chickens! Can you have a rooster? We'd be glad to send tapes of roosters crowing too...
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Paint nice designs (sorta nice!) on the tops of those umbrellas!
Mary