# Temporary foster care?



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

Sorry if it’s the wrong place, but...
I have one hen and 4 roosters. Two of the roosters are silkies who are bonded very strongly to my 21 yo daughter and she to them. They live inside and she is always living on them. My other chickens are pets as well, but the two silkies need attention like a kitten or something. 

But... we are moving to Georgia and will be renting for maybe a year before we can buy our own place and have our chickens. Meanwhile, I would like to find a place to foster them where they would get enough attention *and* we could get them back when we find an appropriate property. We’re in California now, but if we found the right place in another state we’re willing to drive. Anyone know anyone? 

TIA


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I take it you're moving into a rental that doesn't allow pets? Have you talked to the owners on whether it would be acceptable to keep them with you?

The scary part is if you find the wrong person who knows nothing about chickens you could lose them. It's one thing to have someone come to the birds to take care of them. It's a totally different thing for someone to have their care for a year.


----------



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

Yes we’ve scoured the municipal codes and talked to owners and they don’t want chickens, let alone roosters. There is one place where we could buy a home and have all the chickens we want, but rentals are rare and landlords dont want them. That’s why we’re putting feelers out. We knew one lady in CA but she can’t take new ones for another year.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

That's a tough one, we take fosters, we even hold animals for court evidence, but we are in Ohio. I would have to believe you could find someone closer to foster for you and provide the kind of care they currently receive. We network with all of the rescues around here but not anyone as far west as you are.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

First, I wouldn't leave them in CA. They need to be closer to where you're going to settle. You also might have an easier time to find them a temp home. 

Being in GA you have a better chance of finding someone. You might also find a more rural place to rent that doesn't have an issue with the birds. 

You didn't mention what part of GA you were planning to move to.


----------



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

robin416 said:


> First, I wouldn't leave them in CA. They need to be closer to where you're going to settle. You also might have an easier time to find them a temp home.
> 
> Being in GA you have a better chance of finding someone. You might also find a more rural place to rent that doesn't have an issue with the birds.
> 
> You didn't mention what part of GA you were planning to move to.


We'll be in northwestern GA, somewhere northwest of Atlanta. We're pretty confident that when we buy we'll be able to have them, but that won't be for six months or so. We would like to have them as close to us as possible, but are willing to travel a bit because we're getting desperate, to be honest.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Depending on where in NW GA you will have more opportunities for finding a rental that will have no problem with the birds. I have a friend who lives NNW of Atlanta, she's been in two rentals there that had no problems having her chickens.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Where there's a will, there's a way. There have to be some animal organizations who can help navigate the regulations.


----------



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

First, I have to find a county that will let me have chickens. Done. Then I have to find which of those counties allow roosters. Then I have to find a county that allows more than one rooster, then I have to find a landlord who has enough land to legally have roosters *and* is willing to hav roosters on that land. I know I can buy a place where I can have my roosters. I have a real estate agent who wholeheartedly understands our needs and we’ve been combing sites all day every day looking for even areas to start thinking about talking to landlords. The closest I’ve gotten is people saying yes when clearly the property isn’t zoned properly and/or has close neighbors so the roosters would violate noise ordinances. 

No offense, but “where there’s a will there’s a way” is a dismissive misstatement at best. We want desperately to keep our roosters with us. But it is looking like it may not be possible so we want to keep our options open.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Have you reached out to the animal sanctuaries and rescues in the areas you are considering? Those folks tend to network effectively and may be able to help with advice or foster services.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm going to talk to my friend in GA. If anyone has an idea of what and where she will. It might be helpful to tell me where in GA. 

Of course if you're looking to rent within a city's boundaries you're not going to have much luck but if you're looking to rent outside city limits/jurisdictions then it should be workable.


----------



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> Have you reached out to the animal sanctuaries and rescues in the areas you are considering? Those folks tend to network effectively and may be able to help with advice or foster services.


Thanks! I'm currently looking for fosters in the area. I'm going to check with sitters, as well. So far I'm coming up blank, but as you can see I'm casting a wide net!


----------



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

robin416 said:


> I'm going to talk to my friend in GA. If anyone has an idea of what and where she will. It might be helpful to tell me where in GA.
> 
> Of course if you're looking to rent within a city's boundaries you're not going to have much luck but if you're looking to rent outside city limits/jurisdictions then it should be workable.


Thank you! The information I'm getting is spotty, but it seems to me that Cobb County has the most lenient chicken ordinances. Honestly we're looking at anything W or NNW of Atlanta (or even a little NNE) that has lenient chicken ordinances. The exact spot will be determined by where we can keep our roos.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Where are you planning to buy in? If it's one without restrictions on livestock that's where you should be looking to rent. Unfortunately most everything directly around Marietta is going to be very restrictive. It's been a while since I lived in N. GA but I doubt you're going to find property with no restrictions within Cobb County.

And when are you making this move?


----------



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

Thanks! Like I said, the online info is contradictory so I’ve been calling the code offices of each county so far. I’m told Milton is very lenient but there aren’t many rentals available there. We’ll probably buy there, though.


----------



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

robin416 said:


> Where are you planning to buy in? If it's one without restrictions on livestock that's where you should be looking to rent. Unfortunately most everything directly around Marietta is going to be very restrictive. It's been a while since I lived in N. GA but I doubt you're going to find property with no restrictions within Cobb County.
> 
> And when are you making this move?


Oh, and we're moving in October. I'm not a terrible planner: this move came on kind of suddenly.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's not about being a terrible planner, it's about being all the way across the country trying to find adequate housing. Having moved from state to state myself I know the logistics involved. 

Your other issue is timing. Are you planning on renting someplace without seeing it and for a couple of months before you get there? 

Where is work going to be located? That's an important issue around Atlanta. They're not joking about how bad traffic is there.


----------



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

robin416 said:


> It's not about being a terrible planner, it's about being all the way across the country trying to find adequate housing. Having moved from state to state myself I know the logistics involved.
> 
> Your other issue is timing. Are you planning on renting someplace without seeing it and for a couple of months before you get there?
> 
> Where is work going to be located? That's an important issue around Atlanta. They're not joking about how bad traffic is there.


I'm going out in early September to look at places and drive around. I may even pay for a place early to secure it if it takes my roos. If I'm forced to foster them I'll be less pressured to secure a place. Here places tend to advertise well before they're ready for move in. There the places seem to advertise right when they need tenants. So as you said, timing is key.

I was planning on working in Atlanta. But I'm in healthcare and I see there are myriad hospitals and clinics, so I guess I have choices. One of the things I'm going to sample when i visit is the infamous traffic. Atlanta is in the top 4 in the country for traffic, but Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area are in the top three. I've commuted in both, so I'm hoping the traffic won't be a dealbreaker. 2 hrs to go someplace that should be a 20 min drive? No problem.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I was in a rural portion of Macon County and we never had any zoning issues that I recall but that was forty years ago. Even then, I didn't like driving in Atlanta traffic! Hopefully, you can find a good zoning niche that is tolerant of all birds!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If you're in healthcare you have a lot of options even going further outside of the Atlanta metro area. Follow the interstate, there are smaller towns/cities that all have various types of medical facilities. Including hospitals. 

Unless you're in some specialty niche you have a ton of options away from the city. 

PJ, things have changed quite a bit since you were there and it's been 20 years since I lived in Fannin County.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes, I know, I am old and set in my ways! It is hard to believe that every small farm used to have chickens, and now there is so much zoning against them!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Two words, bird flu. Once the insanity set in about that it's been difficult to get anyone to realize it really isn't an issue.

Then you have these people with big dogs that they never clean up behind and whine that chickens are smelly. Or that they'll crow every morning even if there is no rooster present. I think most of the municipalities decided to avoid the whiners by blanket passing regs that won't allow chickens.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yup!


----------



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

robin416 said:


> If you're in healthcare you have a lot of options even going further outside of the Atlanta metro area. Follow the interstate, there are smaller towns/cities that all have various types of medical facilities. Including hospitals.
> 
> Unless you're in some specialty niche you have a ton of options away from the city.
> 
> PJ, things have changed quite a bit since you were there and it's been 20 years since I lived in Fannin County.


I was really struck by the sheer number of medical facilities. It's heartening.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And that's why, if you look further outside the city, you're liable to find what you're looking for and not have to deal with the traffic around Atlanta and Marietta. You might make less an hour but your costs go down too.


----------



## GaChicken_Chick (Jan 17, 2013)

Hey I just saw the email. So I'm not in NW GA I'm in NE GA. About 3 hours from the NW area. Unfortunately I can't foster any, but finding a landlord to accept poultry is very difficult. So much of GA's economy is dependent on poultry so people get paranoid. I would just keep asking around, and if you're on facebook there are A LOT of GA poultry groups. I was incredibly lucky to get the landlords I got that allowed the poultry. I wish I had more advice to give.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You did by mentioning FB groups. You know the pulse of GA better than I do these days so she got more current information than what we could give her.


----------



## majorchicken (May 30, 2013)

GaChicken_Chick said:


> Hey I just saw the email. So I'm not in NW GA I'm in NE GA. About 3 hours from the NW area. Unfortunately I can't foster any, but finding a landlord to accept poultry is very difficult. So much of GA's economy is dependent on poultry so people get paranoid. I would just keep asking around, and if you're on facebook there are A LOT of GA poultry groups. I was incredibly lucky to get the landlords I got that allowed the poultry. I wish I had more advice to give.


Robin is right. That's very helpful in itself. I found some chicken sanctuaries in GA so i have reached out to them, too. You've all been helpfu. Off I go to Facebook! Thank you!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Please let us know how it works out. Heck, you might even be able to contact a large animal vet office. It'll throw them off but they might know of someplace that would take them or a place to rent.


----------

