Would you buy a house near a chicken house?

[cockadoodle]

I wouldn't want to live next to a large chicken operation at any price. The possibility of going to work, or over to a friends house and having them say something like, OMG you smell like death turd is just too much, even if I personally didn't smell it.




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Regarding that, I think that as long as the regulations are disclosed before you take ownership of the property, it shouldn't be an issue. If they aren't then I'd be suing the realtor for not performing due diligence on the sale. Just as I will never move into a property that is in an HOA, I would also never move into a property next to a large commercial operation like this one. For this reason, as well as the smell. The thought of having restrictions on my property is one that I'm not really cool with, but If I move in knowing what they are, (the price per acre is reflecting that as well) I can't really complain when I have to live by them I guess. Slight tangent, but what bothers me even more is when someone moves in next door to a local airport, and then complains about the noise, eventually leading to shutting down the airport. It's like come on, you knew it was there before you moved in... and the airport has grandfathered in rights.. likewise, If I had 50K chickens under my care and someone moved in next door with 10 chickens of unknown health, and my flock died, potentially destroying my business, my lawyer would be on the phone in about .00000002 seconds. Not a fan of lawyers, but that's what they are there for.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Exactly.


If you have a major business and are constantly kept in check by your contract, then the broiler houses are NOT the ones that are the biosecurity risk.

 

[Wifezilla]

My mom used to work at a factory near a chicken ranch.

 

[theOEGBman]

I wouldnt worry about getting diseases from them. They take so many precautions and vaccinate for whatever they possibly can. They're very big on biosecurity and they'll be more worried about getting diseases from you. So, like stated, you probably would not be allowed to own poultry, especially if you didnt keep them cooped up all the time. We visited a Foster Farms broiler farm last semester in Poultry Science and the men that work there are not allowed to have any birds at all, chickens, ducks, parakeets... nothing.

 

[horsejody]

If the property has a well, it should be checked for contamination. Poor or excessive manure disposal can ruin the ground water.

 

[LilBizzy]

I live in an area where there are many commercial chicken farms, and worked on one for a short while. I'll try to keep my thoughts organized

The commercial farms have strict biosecurity rules. They are not allowed to own any other birds. Visitors are not supposed to go within a certain distance from the chicken houses and even vehicles are not to get close. The reason is to keep their birds disease free. They really don't care about your birds.
The chickens are vaccinated, and the managers are supposed to cull ANY and ALL birds that show any signs of ill health. Even with exhaust fans blowing outward, I wouldn't be concerned about my chickens getting ill from the chickens in the houses.

Now, for some numbers- Let's assume those chicken houses are small, and only hold 15,000 chickens each. Thats 120,000 chickens. They MIGHT have computerized systems that allow them to keep a good control on temperature, humidity and ventilation, which keeps the every day smell down. After a few weeks, you won't notice that smell.
The growers expect a certain percentage to be culled or die. I can't remember what that percentage is, but on a farm with 100,000 chickens, it was a slow day to have 100 dead. 300 would be average. Where do those bodies go? The birds that just die, or are culled are usually composted. In my experience, from what I know, composting means piling them up in an open shed, mixed with old litter.
The shed is covered.. but some days it rains sideways, ya know? THAT'S where the smell and the flies come from. And the buzzards. And feral cats. And whatever else might be around.

So, even if I didn't have chickens, the smell isn't what would worry me. It would be my own health- because even if it didn't smell, I'm sure the dander carries in the wind. I'm not sure the air quality would be farm fresh. I'd be concerned about the well water. And I'd be REALLY concerned about the 200+ bodies a day.

Haunted houses are cheap too, if you get my drift.

 

[Beekissed]

The chickens are vaccinated, and the managers are supposed to cull ANY and ALL birds that show any signs of ill health. Even with exhaust fans blowing outward, I wouldn't be concerned about my chickens getting ill from the chickens in the houses.

Now, I'm a little confused here.....if they cull any birds that show any ill health, how is it that they are not a threat for disease transmission to neighboring flocks? I mean, if they are showing visible signs of illness, then they must be ill. So, with exhaust fans blowing their germs all over the neighborhood and the dead bodies piled up each day in the open manure sheds where any wild animal can drag them into any other neighboring territory.....how is this not a threat to neighborhood flocks? And we are supposed to believe that wild birds are the REAL threat?

Fact is, with that many birds living in that close of conditions, disease transmission is kind of standard fare....especially if one is taking 100-300 birds OUT of the house of disease and exposing the soil, air and water supply with the dead birds and fecal matter of all these contaminated birds. The manure and dead chickens are then spread on your local, neighborhood farmer's fields where the soil and food grown there can also carry the wonderful little germs around. Then the enmassed flies feast on it, lay their maggots in it, who then hatch and carry the potential threat to the next coop and the next.

I'm sorry, but that dog won't hunt.....

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

I just wanted to step in and say that the friend that I mentioned in an earlier post has a small incinerator on site for the daily removal of dead birds. I remember a few years ago some kind of virus broke out in the barns and all the birds had to be destroyed. The company that pays him to raise the birds sent 2 tractor trailers and 10 or 12 guys out with huge incinerators. They let the curtains down, fogged the barns, then put the bodies into the incinerators. I seem to remember that the ashes even had to be handled a certain way. I don't know if this was corporate policy or state laws.

Marty

 

[Livinzoo]

Well the hubby still wanted to go check it out, so we went today. I could barely smell the chicken houses. Just a small trace in certain areas of the property. The house is actually on a hill and the chicken houses are at the bottom of the hill.

So all of you that have been around chicken houses, when do they smell the worst as far as temperature? It was in the low 70's today. I know they will smell bad when the clean them out. The Realtor said she has never smelled them except when near them. The previous owners son lives next door and his daughter lives on the other side. They told the realtor that they never smell it. But then again they have lived there probably all their lives.

The property is almost all pasture which I love as it will sustain the 4 goats and 4 pigs I have. There are two inoperable chicken houses on the property which would be great as I can use them to separate out the chicken breeds. Plus have area to store things and more.

The layout of the house is a bit odd but workable with a one room addition in the future and knocking out one wall in the entry way. That would leave us with a 3 bedroom 2 bath house which would be perfect.

We are still going to look at a few more places, but this one has the most pasture. I'm going to call the zoning office and ask if there are any restrictions on this property.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

100+ degrees with high humidity is when I smell it the worst. It's when the litter in the house gets saturated and can't be cleared out as easily as with dryer humidity.


As for the birds being taken out when they are sick:
I believe the poster on this meant that birds that are having leg problems, wing problems aren't growing well, etc. Any and all birds showing illnesses are called to the veterinarian of the company.