Have chicken ~ do you agree with this ```

[flowerbug]

The smallish city in my area recently passed a chicken keeping ordinance, with, in my opinion, some good rules for town life: no roosters, limit on the number of chickens, the coops have to be a certain distance from neighboring property, and no butchering or processing on the property. I don't know if free ranging was addressed, but, like ducks4you stated, that is a problem that takes care of itself.
I don't agree that keeping 3 to 5 chickens is a waste of time. Being able to have fresh eggs has a lot of value to some of us. And we can always use the poo.

no butchering at home? that's really a rule that should be ignored IMO. if you are going to butcher there are ways of doing that which can be done at home. people fish and clean fish all the time, or the small game hunters, are you going to keep them from doing that? no, so you are in effect going after just one segment of the home butchering that is going on and to me that is wrong. i hope people ignore that part of the rules and if it is ever attempted to be enforced it gets challenged in court.

there's a difference between what a small flock of birds would need as compared to a commercial operation, same with the once in a while hunting and fishing. if you have a garden and know how to deal with the left-overs/offal then it's a very valuable garden amendment (burying roadkill too, if i had the stomach for it i'd do more as there are usually some animals on the roads here as we walk and our soil is always very welcoming of any amendments i can scrounge up).

 

[flowerbug]

I enjoy getting fresh eggs, and I guess I'd have to say my chickens are pets, because I have a few that are 8 years old, which is not efficient.

I think the mistake some people make with chickens is treating them like a cuddly pet and handling them and forgetting to wash their hands afterwards. It makes me cringe to see photos of young children holding a chick up against their face. Yes, they are adorable, but this is a bad idea if you do not want salmonella.

kids should be exposed to dirt/germs, the world is full of them (you are surrounded) and your body needs to know how to deal with them. being overly protective of children seems to set them up for later problems. one thing the body has to do as a child forming in the womb and then as they are young is to determine what is us and what isn't and deal with the what isn't. if you don't get this sorted out then later on in life autoimmune problems can come up. we are still quite young in knowledge though and this is still being studied...

 

[Nyboy]

I am sure you can butcher inside like basement or garage. Outside 4 different homes can see into my backyard maybe more. I can understand someone not wanting to look out their window and see blood and guts.

 

[Just-Moxie]

Some people...ok...probably many....have NO business trying to raise back yard flocks. Let alone butcher them.

Local statutes help at least to make some think before they act. Of my own family, neither my dad or stepmom, need to be having chickens. And my 2 sisters, completely city slickers. They have no interest in them any way, thank goodness.

 

[Just-Moxie]

I enjoy getting fresh eggs, and I guess I'd have to say my chickens are pets, because I have a few that are 8 years old, which is not efficient.

I think the mistake some people make with chickens is treating them like a cuddly pet and handling them and forgetting to wash their hands afterwards. It makes me cringe to see photos of young children holding a chick up against their face. Yes, they are adorable, but this is a bad idea if you do not want salmonella.

Not only hands, but what is also tracked into the home on shoes.

 

[digitS']

I can understand someone not wanting to look out their window and see blood and guts.

Careful.

You will have someone commenting on heightened sensitivity and an unwillingness to properly make efforts to appease and maintain favor with a prescribed deity.



Steve

 

[ducks4you]

I am sure you can butcher inside like basement or garage. Outside 4 different homes can see into my backyard maybe more. I can understand someone not wanting to look out their window and see blood and guts.

If people saw the blood and guts from home butchering of chickens they Might understand that that is how they get their meat.

 

[catjac1975]

I saw a program about chickens in NYC. Apparently they can be kept on your rooftop. Providence RI do not allow them. My town just became a "Right to Farm" town. We have yearly inspections by someone... do not know her title. They just look to see that the animals are in humane conditions as far as I can tell.

 

[Grizla]

you don't think people should be allowed ~ rooster ~ I like hearing them ```

There's nothing wrong with a rooster, I just don't think it should be forced on the neighbors (speaking as a late sleeping neighbor myself!)

 

[flowerbug]

I am sure you can butcher inside like basement or garage. Outside 4 different homes can see into my backyard maybe more. I can understand someone not wanting to look out their window and see blood and guts.

they watch it on tv all the time, doubt most even look out windows any more.

If people saw the blood and guts from home butchering of chickens they Might understand that that is how they get their meat.

home butchering is rarely comparable to production line butchering where most people do get their meats from. if they had to see it they'd likely consider alternatives...