why do so many towns have insanely strict backyard poultry laws?

[froggyphore]

i’m looking to move and after a bit of research i’m in the only town in my state that allows more than six hens! i looked at surrounding states and found even more ridiculous laws like no roosters, no free ranging, 1 acre per hen, coop has to be atleast 70 feet away from the road and any buildings... and it seems like more of these identical strict laws are being introduced every year, as many of the articles are form 2016 onward. does anyone know why this is? tyia

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Its also the neighbors. and the taxes. The primary source of wealth in this country, on average, is the appreciation of home prices - which is also the tax base for the city/county. Backyard poultry are perceived to be a negative to property values - and thus, the same people making it increasingly difficult and expensive to build housing in this country (contributing to the shortage, and driving existing prices up) are also approving when backyard poultry and other pets are restricted - there are places where you need annual dog licenses to continue to keep Fido! and since backyard keeping isn't widespread, its an easy vote to make - pleases many, alienates few.

 

[saysfaa]

Part of the reason is the officials who write the laws tend to look at what other towns have done instead of writing their own from scratch.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You also can't rule out how people raising their own food cuts into the profits of supermarkets :/

ii can. Supermarkets don't have that much influence on residential zoning. Nor, in my experience working with big business, business associations, and writing legislation, and advising on legislation, have i found that truly big business either gives a damn, or is willing to invest in buying legislation that does anything other than put their competitors at disadvantage - and backyard chickens aren't competitors of Aldi, HEB, Winn Dixie, Central Market, Publix, Kroger, Walmart, or even Rauch Grocery.

 

[nuthatched]

That's right around the time of the bird flu scare, I think. Or at least the 'after math', same reason we can't import/export chickens anymore.

 

[21hens-incharge]

In addition to the above it's done to keep things from getting to nutty with every other house having 25 birds living in a tiny coop and spreading diseases.

If someone DOES go over the top and isn't staying within the laws there are ways they can remedy it as long as there ARE those laws.

 

[rookbeak]

Its also the neighbors. and the taxes. The primary source of wealth in this country, on average, is the appreciation of home prices - which is also the tax base for the city/county. Backyard poultry are perceived to be a negative to property values - and thus, the same people making it increasingly difficult and expensive to build housing in this country (contributing to the shortage, and driving existing prices up) are also approving when backyard poultry and other pets are restricted - there are places where you need annual dog licenses to continue to keep Fido! and since backyard keeping isn't widespread, its an easy vote to make - pleases many, alienates few.

You also can't rule out how people raising their own food cuts into the profits of supermarkets :/