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Post by genny on Apr 14, 2017 15:39:36 GMT
Our city ordinance states that you have to have 2 acres (which is just about unheard of inside the city) to own 4 chicken.
The backyard chicken movement is growing and I am part of a group that is trying to get our city council to amend the ordinance so that you can have 4 chickens on ½ acre lots. We've put some stringent rules on ourselves to make it more palatable to the city, but I'm wondering what others' rules and experiences have been.
There are some council members for it and some against it. Animal Control has for some reason stepped in and given an eloquent speech on why chickens would be dangerous for our city…really?
The next city council meeting is in two weeks and we are trying to pull together as much positive info as we can (and we have a bunch). Any input is greatly appreciated!
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Post by supersoda on Apr 14, 2017 15:44:46 GMT
I don't think so.
I used to live in a neighborhood in the middle of a suburban city that had wild chickens running around. (It was a nice, middle class neighborhood!) The dang roosters crowed all the time and were kind of a nuisance.
Do backyard chickens include roosters? I would not be on board with that scenario.
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Post by pondrunner on Apr 14, 2017 15:45:01 GMT
No, no chickens or any farm animals in our city and our HOA reiterates that restriction
If everybody had chickens and goats and all else it would get to be too many animals fast and have more animals than the neighborhoods can support.
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johnnysmom
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Post by johnnysmom on Apr 14, 2017 15:47:30 GMT
Very small rural town and they decided a year or two ago no chickens in the city limits. Dh really wants them but we can't.
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Post by myshelly on Apr 14, 2017 15:49:10 GMT
No.
And I'm very glad.
I'm Not ok with the noise.
I chose a house in a city. I don't want it to sound like Green Acres.
Buy a farm if you want farm animals. Don't bother everyone else.
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Post by kkooch on Apr 14, 2017 15:50:10 GMT
We can have chickens, you just have to get a permit. Without going to the website not sure if we are limited in number. Roosters aren't allowed if you live so close to other homes not sure how close. There is a house not too far from mine that I hear a rooster yelling from now and then. Because I am far enough away it doesn't bother me. I'd rather a rooster than a barking dog thats for sure.
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paigepea
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Post by paigepea on Apr 14, 2017 15:53:30 GMT
Our city allows backyard chickens. I only have one friend who had chickens. She had to get rid of them - don't remember why.
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marimoose
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Post by marimoose on Apr 14, 2017 15:56:13 GMT
In Denver they are allowed, I believe up to 8 total. We can also have ducks and pygmy goats but no roosters.
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Post by refugeepea on Apr 14, 2017 15:57:40 GMT
I have no idea about the rules. I haven't raised chickens, but can't they live on less than 1/2 an acre? My town has smaller lots so that law passing would be pointless. I'm ok with chickens, NOT roosters.
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Post by busy on Apr 14, 2017 15:58:15 GMT
I am honestly not sure if they are allowed in our city, but I'm pretty sure they are. I know there was a lot of talk about it a few years ago and given that it's allowed in Portland, I think we followed suit, but I don't know the specifics. I do remember they were talking about a minimum lot size of 7,000 sf and that being limited to 3 chickens. I think there were more allowed the larger the lots got. I know Portland allows up to three regardless of lot size; over three requires a permit. Roosters aren't allowed, as far as I know.
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Post by monklady123 on Apr 14, 2017 16:00:44 GMT
There's a backyard chicken group in my town, trying to get the law changed to allow people to have them. I wouldn't mind as long as they outlawed roosters. We have a bunny and fox population that goes up and down (i.e., lots of bunnies so the foxes come back, foxes eat bunnies then move on, bunnies rebound [no pun intended lol], foxes come back, etc.) so chickens would be a nice addition to the foxes' diet.  Only partly kidding since those foxes are smart. But I wouldn't mind having some chickens. I had them when I lived in Africa and they were entertaining. Mostly I let them hatch their eggs, then we cooked them up as they got older. |
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Peal
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Post by Peal on Apr 14, 2017 16:03:15 GMT
Yes, but we live rural. People are allowed many kinds of farm animals. The most obnoxious animal is the dogs. We have a guy through our block who keeps his dogs in a kennel and they bark incessantly. So much worse than the occasional rooster crow. All hours of the day and night. And since our city (tiny town) isn't about inforcing ordinances, there is no recourse.
There was also a guy down the street who had rabbits. Then he released them. Now we all have rabbits.
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Post by compeateropeator on Apr 14, 2017 16:04:23 GMT
A lot of my town is pretty rural, but there are dense areas with housing developments. Yes we can have backyard chickens but they can not be disrupting/a nuisance to neighbors.
Burlington, which I would consider a city, albeit a small one, does allow backyard chickens. I think that you can only have 3 and no roosters.
However Vermont is known for being pretty progressive with the whole farm to table/self sustaining type movements.
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scrapngranny
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Post by scrapngranny on Apr 14, 2017 16:05:58 GMT
You can have chickens here, just no roosters.
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katybee
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Post by katybee on Apr 14, 2017 16:09:42 GMT
The Texas state senate just passed a law that would prevent municipalities from banning chickens in backyards. You can have up to six in a regular backyard. More if you have more acreage…
Our first grade classes just hatched chicks, and many families took them home. One of my parents took two little chicks home, and are just praying that they are girls. Because roosters (logically) can still be banned.
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Post by bc2ca on Apr 14, 2017 16:13:53 GMT
Residents are allowed up to 6 chickens in my city. There isn't a specific lot size restriction, just that the coop can't be closer than 35 feet to a neighbor's home. The bylaw actually says home, not property line, which is interesting. No roosters are allowed.
A two acre lot seems excessive to me. I know my sister successfully raised chickens for years on a quarter acre city lot.
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Post by Linda on Apr 14, 2017 16:14:27 GMT
I live outside city limits and I don't think we have any restrictions really on animals - I have neighbours with goats, cows, chickens, horses....someone nearby (on my DD's bus route) has a camel...
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Post by tracyarts on Apr 14, 2017 16:15:37 GMT
Only if you have at least an acre of land. There are some large lots in town, so there are people who have chickens and ducks here.
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Post by Katie on Apr 14, 2017 16:16:26 GMT
I am in city limits, and am allowed 3 chickens but I need approval signatures from all of my immediate neighbors first.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Apr 14, 2017 16:17:36 GMT
The two cities nearest to us do allow chickens (one just passed an ordinance in the last couple of years). One thing to keep in mind is the issue of roosters. It's actually been the biggest controversy about the change in policy. Neither city allows roosters. There's now a huge uptick in unwanted roosters and there's a lot of controversy surrounding the disposal of said roosters - just something to keep in mind.
Our HOA doesn't allow any farm animals - so even though they're allowed in the county, they're not allowed in our neighborhood.
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Post by refugeepea on Apr 14, 2017 16:56:44 GMT
Yes, but we live rural. People are allowed many kinds of farm animals. The most obnoxious animal is the dogs. We have a guy through our block who keeps his dogs in a kennel and they bark incessantly. So much worse than the occasional rooster crow. All hours of the day and night. And since our city (tiny town) isn't about inforcing ordinances, there is no recourse. There was also a guy down the street who had rabbits. Then he released them. Now we all have rabbits. Animal control is only available between the hours of 3:00-5:00 at least the last time I checked. They basically told me I need to take the animal myself to the shelter. It's been a while, but I remember the hours being weird there too. I've had problems with cats and stupid owners who let them roam or stop caring for them. We got cat crap in our yard so we had to make sure there are zero gaps in our vinyl fence. This morning a pit bull jumped all over me when I got out of my car. He wasn't threatening at all but just dumb and very friendly. I'm so glad I didn't have my son with me at the time, he could have easily knocked him over and hurt him. The more I read your posts, I think we do live close to each other!  |
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georgiapea
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Post by georgiapea on Apr 14, 2017 17:08:02 GMT
My town allows 5 hens, no roosters.
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Post by workingclassdog on Apr 14, 2017 17:08:58 GMT
Yes in our city.. I don't know all the rules or anything and actually just found out this morning by accident. I dropped my daughter for a play date and I was talking to the husband and he was telling me about their dogs and said something about their chickens in the backyard. So apparently we can (at least their neighborhood's HOA allows it, unless they are breaking the rules, which I highly doubt)
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Peamac
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Post by Peamac on Apr 14, 2017 17:16:50 GMT
Colorado Springs allows chickens, but I don't know the limits or requirements. I have a friend in town with a small yard (way less than 1/2 an acre) who has some. I don't think they're allowed to have roosters, though. Here's a link to the regulations.I live way outside of town, and most people here have 2.5 acres. We're not allowed to have chickens. We also have a family of foxes living under our shed, and skunks and coyotes aren't uncommon here, so that may be why they're prohibited. |
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likescarrots
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Post by likescarrots on Apr 14, 2017 17:54:08 GMT
Yes, they started allowing it around 2014. Unfortunately we live in an HOA and I don't think they would be allowed in the neighborhood. But I'm all for back yard chickens, and if I ever move out of this neighborhood we will probably have some.
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anniebygaslight
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Post by anniebygaslight on Apr 14, 2017 17:58:25 GMT
Yes. Sheffield U.K.
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likescarrots
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Post by likescarrots on Apr 14, 2017 18:03:19 GMT
The Texas state senate just passed a law that would prevent municipalities from banning chickens in backyards. You can have up to six in a regular backyard. More if you have more acreage… That's interesting - do you know if HOAs can still ban them, or is it just municipalities that can't? |
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Post by femalebusiness on Apr 14, 2017 18:04:51 GMT
No we can't have chickens and it irritates me. I'd love to have fresh eggs but I live in a suburban neighborhood home. The stupid thing is that I had an outdoor aviary the size of a garage for years with 40-50 cockatiels, parakeets and parrots. They were loud and nobody cared. Rules make no sense sometimes.
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pridemom
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Post by pridemom on Apr 14, 2017 18:12:30 GMT
My city allows up to 8 hens, no roosters.
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Post by myshelly on Apr 14, 2017 18:14:20 GMT
The Texas state senate just passed a law that would prevent municipalities from banning chickens in backyards. You can have up to six in a regular backyard. More if you have more acreage… That's interesting - do you know if HOAs can still ban them, or is it just municipalities that can't? It's not a law yet, it only passed the Senate so far. So there's no official still can/can't. |
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