# Chicken ordinance



## 12db (Jun 8, 2017)

Hi all, new here, great forum!

I would like to get the advise on a ordinance issue. I live in a small City (was a town until recently because it sounded better) and a new ordinance was issued in 2014 in regards to chickens. It is written because of chickens everywhere in the City, but gives no thought to rural parts where I live. I have a small farm with 2 horses and large paddock. Many many farms out here! It reads like this:

-No more than 6 hens, no roosters.
- must be kept in secure area.
- No free range.
- Must obtain a yearly permit of $25 every year.
- A light attached to the pen must be motion activated only (not kidding)
- Pen must be constructed of all the same materials (same on all walls,etc)
- Pen must be painted to match area.

There is more but this is the jist of it. I would like to get chickens for eggs and tick control. Has anyone dealt with anything like this and what was your course of action? Or would moving be a better idea!? 

Thanks!


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

That's seem pretty reasonable for a place that has a chicken ordinance.
Basically you can't let them roam free on your property or make a make shift junky coop.
Not sure on the light thing>


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## 12db (Jun 8, 2017)

To me, in City, or "City limits", this makes sense where there is high density. However, there is a LOT of rural area and farms (non-commercial). Just seems unreasonable to me that RR (rural residential) are permitted all kinds of farm animals and pastures, yet we fall under a blanket ordinance that is clearly written to address in City issues. One would not want horses in town, just as one would not want 20 chickens in tight properties. But out here in farm land, 6 chickens kept in a pen? Just seems unreasonable like I said, as that's why the "City" is divided up into zones.

I can understand reasonable measures in RR zone. Must stay on property, Not wandering on public roadways, not causing a nuisance, etc. Just like with the other farm animals.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

How sure are you that those ordinances applies to your property? My mailing address is a near city but I don't have to follow city ordinances because I don't live in the city proper. The fact you have enough land to have horses tells me that these rules shouldn't apply to you.


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## 12db (Jun 8, 2017)

robin416 said:


> How sure are you that those ordinances applies to your property? My mailing address is a near city but I don't have to follow city ordinances because I don't live in the city proper. The fact you have enough land to have horses tells me that these rules shouldn't apply to you.


My mailing address is within the city. But we are zoned rural, which allows what I posted. This is confirmed with animal control, whom thought this didn't make sense either!

They do apply to me, which in turn makes me scratch my head.

I figured I'd reach out and see if anyone has or had a similar experience.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

How much land are you on?How far is your nearest neighbor?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sounds like someone majorly screwed up when they wrote that ordinance. I'd be getting in front of someone and getting them to fix it.


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## 12db (Jun 8, 2017)

Nm156 said:


> How much land are you on?How far is your nearest neighbor?


7 acres. Neighbors are a great distance, several thousand feet.

A farm down the road is over 75 acres of field with all kinds of farm animals set back 3000 feet from the roadway. Same rule applies.

6 measly penned up poor little chickens.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

What State?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

12db, your post #3 is common sense. Who says lawmakers and politicians have common sense? 
I recommend that you go have a talk with your town council member or representative about this issue, zoning department also.
It sounds to me that the ordinance needs to be rewritten. If the clowns give you a hard time, it's time to go to the local newspaper and get interviewed about the goofy ordinance. Kick butt and take names.
It took the city of Jacksonville Florida 2 years to draft a chicken ordinance, 3 or 4 different full city council meetings that dragged on each time for hours discussing the ordinance over and over. It was so much red tape; committee after committee and more committees and rewrites etc etc etc... As if them clowns didnt have more important issues to discuss, just to pass a simple chicken ordinance. What a joke and a waste of taxpayers money. They finally passed the ordinance allowing chickens in the city except HOA's and exempted neighborhoods, mostly rich people neighborhoods.
I feel your pain 12d. Welcome to the forum. 
BTW: Here's the Jacksonville ordinance:
https://www.scribd.com/document/184855257/2013-415-E-Final-Language


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

12db said:


> 7 acres. Neighbors are a great distance, several thousand feet.
> 
> A farm down the road is over 75 acres of field with all kinds of farm animals set back 3000 feet from the roadway. Same rule applies.
> 
> 6 measly penned up poor little chickens.


what are you zoned? I would imagine agricultural. And what rules does agricultural zoning have? Your zone should be on your property tax paperwork or give you a number you can take and find out all about it.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

The town I lived in last did the almost same thing.When I first moved there,it was rural.Then the farmers started selling their land to developers.They built $300,000 and up homes and neighborhoods,strip malls,businesses,etc.When the rich started moving in,they started changing all the laws,ordinances and zoning.I received a letter stating I had to get rid of my chickens who were in a pen inside a fenced in yard.They left no grandfather clauses in them for people like me.We fought hard but lost,they had money,we did not.So I moved to where I am now.Best decision ever!!!Less people,less traffic,cleaner air and just about anything goes.I can even shoot my guns all night if I wanted to.If you don't bother the neighbors,they don't bother you,the way it should be.Yep,the best decision ever!!!


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

That really sucks, CQ. You should have been grandfathered in


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I hate governmental micromanagement when it comes to chicken keeping. Meanwhile dogs and cats are running freely everywhere. I could go on and on ad nauseum....


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

seminolewind said:


> That really sucks, CQ. You should have been grandfathered in


It was to my advantage,these new laws.It made me move here.I have 10x's the property,an acre spring fed pond and I can have all the animals I want.I can also do target practice in the back,saving me from having to spend money at a shooting range.There are at least 3 state parks within 10 miles or less with stocked lakes.I can be at Kroger's in 10 min.In the city it was about the same distance but it could take 30 min. to get there because of all the traffic.Really,those selfish people did me a favor and I don't have to live with them anymore.I just hope they don't start following me out here.I'm starting to see farms and large parcels of land for sale.That's how it started in West Chester...


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## RedBeard (May 25, 2017)

12db said:


> Hi all, new here, great forum!
> 
> I would like to get the advise on a ordinance issue. I live in a small City (was a town until recently because it sounded better) and a new ordinance was issued in 2014 in regards to chickens. It is written because of chickens everywhere in the City, but gives no thought to rural parts where I live. I have a small farm with 2 horses and large paddock. Many many farms out here! It reads like this:
> 
> ...


Wow! I couldn't handle anyone telling me what to do with my animals on my property that i pay the taxes on. To me it's an infringement on your rights to provide food for your family. I couldn't live there. Wish you the best of luck with it.


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