First. Many municipalities prohibit chickens. That said, animal enforcement officers usually are called to remove them only when a neighbor complains. If you live in a typical suburban neighborhood, whether or not the chickens are legal, you likely will not be hassled if your neighbors don't complain. So. Ask your neighbors. If they agree not to contact the authorities about your hens, whether the chickens are legal or not you can probably keep them. If chickens are illegal, and no one complains....I think the expression "if a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it" probably applies. If you want to find out the local rules, call your local animal shelter, and they will be able to tell you what the city laws are where you live.
That said, meet some of my fellow outlaw chicken keepers...
Janet
H.
Phoenix, Arizona
Why would
keeping a few hens be outlawed anywhere? Hens are not noisy, unlike
many bored dogs. Our chickens get free run of the yard all day then
put themselves up to roost at night. We supplement their feed and foraging
with daily fresh greens and kitchen scraps for outstanding fresh organic
eggs. Free ranging chickens perform an excellent job at natural pest
and weed control, too!
Kelly
P.
Kelowna, B.C. Canada
We
ourselves are outlaws with a snoopy neighbour who keeps telling us that
chickens belong on farms. I think the next time he mentions this I'll
tell him that if we ever need to get rid of our three hens we will become
proud new owners of an unaltered male pit-bull. Hey, It's legal.
They really aren’t supposed to be sitting on our lawn chairs but you know how it goes, when the cat is away the chicks will play.
Nathan
H, Bringham City, Utah
Here
are Rosie and Cleopatra in my wife's flower garden. I built a (chicken)
tractor that I keep in my garden. I remember when I was building it
my kids were excited and my next door neighbor just acted like it was
strange. I built it when my wife went away on a week long business trip.
She really thought I was nuts when she came home. It didn't take long
and our hens were part of the family. I let the girls out to play in
the afternoon when I or the kids get home and they enjoy our gardens.
We enjoy happy chickens and yummy eggs. Interesting thing about the
neighbors, most don't know we have them unless we tell them (we have
no roosters)...several have gotten their own poultry (chickens or ducks)
and are very happy too!
M. King, Central Ohio
My
sister and I both live in the city and have chickens. Our homes are
in the uppity end of town and are in the half million dollar range,
and our neighbors know that we keep hens. I got rid of my standard
rooster and now have a banty rooster and he doesn't crow loud enough
for any one to hear and funny enough I notice that , that little rooster
does his job with my standard hens.
People that visit my home are often arrested to see chickens in the
yard and immediately are amused. The next question is always "Are
you allowed to have chicks in the city?" When my fiends see how
much fun they are and have tasted the eggs from my hen house, they
are often curious as to whether they could get away with raising some
themselves. I was granted permission by my city as long as they didn't
bother the neighbors, I have always been fearful of the day I get
a letter of complaint but it hasn't happened yet (6 years). I am very
careful to let them out only near dusk as to keep them from straying
to far from the roost and possibly into the neighbors yards (they
do like to kick the mulch away from the tree bases and gardens, this
drives my husband crazy) In fact, he doesn't like that I keep hens
and has named them all after different chicken dishes, ( kungpo, lemon,
sesame and my favorite "chicken ala"...............our last
name in King).
Darlene in Newport News, Va wrote about her outlaw chickens:
Last
summer I was busted by my city zoning department
for having 20 bantams. They all went to live at a local petting zoo...
This year I have 2 outlaw silkies I can't stop!!!!
They are so sweet, even my nasty neighbor has grown to love them.
photo below :)
Jana B. outside KC writes
I
have a few Silkies, a Cochin and the rest are Araucanas or Easter
Eggers. I live in a small rural town but it's become a bedroom community
for Kansas City and it growing fast. I couldn't believe there were
no chickens allowed. I was already so excited about getting them,
there was no turning back.
If I thought I could swing it I would try an outlaw miniature donkey
or outlaw goats.
April 9, 2008 Chicken outlawrey plan
I have already decided that I will get hens this year - even though it is illegal. I taught living history classes for years and would sometimes have to bring home hens. I kept them in my backyard for up to 4 weeks and never had one complaint - hubby didn't even know they were there!! As soon as I have my back porch built and inspected so there will be no more snoopers, I will build my hen house and get my girls. I do feel a little nervous about breaking a law, but it's such a silly law to begin with. I am putting together a defense paper to present to the city should I ever need it. If every one that had hens would keep the hen house clean, I don't believe the laws would have ever been made...or maybe it was just some "fancy" people that didn't want (ugh) FARM animals around them. I will see if my daughter can come over with her digital camera and take pictures when I become an outlaw.
thanks for all you do,
sheri
Way to go Sheri! I'll look for those photos!
Email me a photo of your outlaw chickens and I'll post it here and send you a bumpersticker!
