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Urban Chickens And Housechickens
Keeping Chickens In The City
Be proactive, check your local zoning laws and see how they feel about chickens BEFORE YOU GET CHICKENS. Stop by city hall to talk to the zoning folks in person, most of them are quite nice. Most cities allow at least three hens (sometimes more) but most say 'no' to roosters because of pre-dawn crowing. Make sure you follow the law as to how many chickens you can keep and how many feet away from houses and/or buildings the coop needs to be. Don't just check the 'allowed animals' section of the city code, look at the 'noise' ordinances as well--that is where most cities address roosters.
Make sure you are a stickler for keeping the coop, run and feed areas CLEAN. Usually you are OK until it rains, then the rain activates the chicken poop smell. Wet straw in the coop can also stink, so change it after a rain--it'll need to be changed anyway if it gets wet. Keep your feed stored so that it won't attract rodents (a big neighbor concern is that 'chickens attract rats').
Use either the 'deep litter' method of coop litter maintenance or muck out & scrub that sucker out once every week or so. I prefer the deep litter method, it works best for us here in southern California since it's dry and hot more than it's wet, cold and rainy. 'Deep Litter' means that you only muck out the coop 2-4 times a year. Other than that you add fresh straw right on top of the old straw and chicken poop (creating a deep litter), and let Mother Nature and bacteria break down and biodegrade the old stuff as an ongoing process underneath. Little to no smell, yay!
Soundproof your coop if you do keep roosters. Making the sleeping area an enclosed space using wood or other soundproofing materials (nothing the chickens can peck at and ingest, though) can virtually eliminate noise complaints. Roosters may crow during the day a few times, but it is generally lost in the daily background noise, and they are FAR less noisy than a dog. It's that 4:30AM crowing that is the deal killer for neighbors.
Ack, Bird Flu!
People do tend to freak out with the Bird Flu panic going on. Mostly because they don't have all of the facts. Educate yourself on the real facts of bird flu and how hard it is to catch in first world nations, and calmly and nicely explain it to any neighbors who have worries. Most bird flu cases have been in developing nations where it is common for families to sleep in the same building or room as their livestock. Be open and honest about it, let them visit your birds and take home some fresh eggs and a molted, pretty feather or two.
Make sure your birds stay in YOUR yard, always. Fence them securely and trim their wings if need be. Your neighbor's prize flowerbeds are like a chicken Disneyland. Not only are chickens little Garden Destructors, there are many plants and compounds that are highly toxic to birds. Police your own yard for toxic plants as well. If you need a list of what is/isn't toxic, Google it or see the 'Health' section of this site.
Someone Has Complained To The City About My Birds!
Ah, the neighbors. Those sourpusses you have to live near, that think that everyone EXCEPT them must follow city codes. As for chicken noise and neighbors--there are several things you can do, and I'd do them ALL, because if a city official gets a complaint and pays you a visit, you can show them everything you are already doing to make sure your birds are not a nuisance or a health hazard. This gives you a better chance at making the issue go away and will make the guy who filed the complaint look like a whiney PITA. Always be friendly, open and honest towards any city officials that come by, being nasty is a sure way to lose. They are required to check out every little piddly complaint, after all. Be proud of your birds and their excellent health & housing. Show off your birds & setup! Be the sweetest thing since maple syrup to that city official, without being smarmy.
Make sure your birds are healthy and beautiful, and keep them housed well with fresh food and water at all times. It's a real plus if your pretty, healthy chickens are also very sweet and tame--if Concerned Neighbor (or Animal Control officer) comes over, you can scoop beautiful Henrietta and stand there petting her while talking to the neighbor...oh, I'm sorry, would you like to hold her? Here you go...oh no, she never bites, she's very sweet... oooohhh, so soft, those feathers...look at the way she looks at me, I think this chicken really likes me! I had no IDEA that chickens were so wonderful...!
Chickens are pretty darned good at winning people over. If someone is looking for an excuse to complain, they may tell officials that you are neglecting or abusing your birds. Therefore, find yourself an avian (bird) vet BEFORE your birds get sick, avoiding the panicked calling around on a Saturday to try and find a vet. Tell the city official about your fantastic vet and make it clear that you not only know how the keep & raise chickens, but that you can and will take them to a vet whenever needed.
In the event that push comes to shove with a particular neighbor, there is one thing you can discuss with them, and it's excellent ammo...the fact that maybe EVERYONE should follow city codes from now on, to the letter. Do they have a junked car in their backyard? Feed 900 stray cats? A teen that blasts music at 11PM? Have ANYTHING remotely anti-code about their homes? I'll bet they do. I'll bet you could spot it, couldn't you, you clever litle minx? Be calm, be polite, don't shout or swear. Just be factual and let it be known that this will be the case, and that sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Fair is fair, after all and everyone should a little give.
If you DO get a notice to get rid of your birds, don't panic! To my knowledge, in the United States it is against the law for anyone to come onto your property and just TAKE your birds without notice. If you have done your job ahead of time by creating the optimum chicken paradise in your backyard, have taken all steps to abate any nuisance to neighbors, have followed city codes as to coop placement and been sweet to the city officials who have come out to inspect, you will be in the best position possible. You can then cross each bridge as you come to it, nothing more may come of it beyond the notice. Take one step at a time.
Where To Go For More Help & Advice
Several online sites are acting as backyard chicken flock proponents:
Path To Freedom's page on keeping chickens in an urban setting:
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/pathpr.../chickens.shtml
Yahoo Groups 'Urban Chickens' group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/urbanchickens/
Another site dedicated to advice to urban chicken owners, with tips to help fight city hall:
http://www.chickenvideo.com/articles.html
copyright 2003-2013 by Velvet Sparrow