Section 1 had a list of other large cities that allow fowl to be raised and what limits they had.
Section 2 was the copy of the fowl ordinance used by Minneapolis Minnesota and how I feel it is a good example of a "good neighbor law"
Section 3 addressed briefly a few concerns they might raise with the idea of fowl inside of the town limits.
Embedded below is a copy of the handout given to them.
The top part of this document has a full screen button for easier reading.
9 comments:
Hey! Good for you. I would definitely own chickens if the city allowed it. Let me know if you need any help - I'm excited that you've stepped forward on this issue.
Not so sure about this one. I think that the key word here is "residential." If we have certain areas of town zoned for agricultural use, that is where fowl should be kept. I have a family from Mexico that have moved in down the street and they have chickens (or roosters, or some other sort of fowl - I am not much of a farm boy!) that do that whole cock-a-doodle-do thing starting at 4AM daily. It is definitely not a desireable thing, for me at least.
While chickens in general do make nouse, the noisy ones are the roosters, and they do get moisy. Several of the cities listed do limit the roosters, and for the production of eggs that are not needed.
Also most do not know that there are quieter breed of chickens.
The last page does address noise, and that could 'push' people to keep chickens quiet. Most chickens in a coop wil not crow. If chickens are kept enclosed overnight and let out in the morning the noise issue should pose no bother to the neighbor.
That being said, then it makes sense.
Just so there is some prohibition on noise!!!
While I am leery of the large numbers of laws, I do feel a good neighbor path should be allowed. We have too many laws in this town. I'm going after one at a time and this is my first attempt to effect change in one.
Hay Gunner. Great work, did you speak to the council before the meeting? Shame the Mayor came out against it. At least he requimended it to the next workshop. By the way, what makes you think a rooster will not crow while in a coop? Ours do all the time. Also some breeds of chickens will develop a crowing hen when no rooster is about. Also a rooster will crow anytime, day or night.
I had been told the "crowers" were the roosters mainly and that putting them in a coop at night would quiet them. I'd like to find out if I am wrong by raising them.
I addressed the council as a public commenter at the beginning. I'm not sure the mayor is against it, but the council does not like change much unless they put it forward. The town attorney had already gotten a list of local cities that had like laws, but as my handout shows I may have a case.
If I get it past will you assist me in my first chicken herd...pack?..gaggle?...flock? Whatever the heck they are called.
Our roosters crowing at night, while in the coop, may be due to the lamp we burn for heat. I'll have to try switching to a infrared bulb and see if that doesn't quiet them down. As for helping you out on set up, sure thing Gunner, I'll be watching.
First, good for you. I also believe the ordinance is too restrictive. Chickens can be kept in residential areas without causing noise disturbances, bad odors, or public health issues. You just need to keep them clean, control the flies, and observe basic biosecurity.
I would never keep a rooster in town, though. To me, that is being a good neighbor. Nobody really needs a rooster in a residential neighborhood. If you want to hatch eggs, you can always buy fertilized eggs and incubate them. (If you want some, let me know. I'll hook you up.) And yeah, roosters can be noisy any time of the day or night. They will crow even if they are let out during the day.
Furthermore, we live in interesting times. With worldwide food shortages that by all accounts (WHO and FAO) are not going to be short term problems, whatever food a citizen can produce himself leaves more food for others. (FYI, in case you didn't know, Haiti's prime minister was removed over the weekend due to food riots. There has been similar unrest in several countries, including Egypt, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Phillipines, and Indonesia.)
It will also leave more discretionary dollars available to stimulate the economy, rather than struggling to spend higher percentages of our take-home pay to keep food on the table. Not only can you produce eggs with a few hens, properly composted manure can be used in gardens to increase production there. I think the benefit of allowing poultry far outweighs the potential negatives. Allowing more ways for citizens to produce their own food will make our community more resilent.
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