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Thread: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

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    Featured Member teeth_of_the_hydra's Avatar
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    Default How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Seriously, I've been googling this shit for an hour, but every search refers me to KFC and Popeye's. What I want to know is if it's legal-- or maybe just not illegal-- to quietly raise about half a dozen hens in Sarasota County. I have a meeting with a real estate agent tomorrow to look at homes (because I am thinking of buying one? Here? In Florida? And living like a real, albeit wacky, grownup for a while?) and I would really like a place with a huge, fenced, shaded yard, if I can raise my own chickens. If I can't, then I suppose I shouldn't spring the extra $10-20K for an oversized lot. However, I don't really want to ask the realtor if he knows anything about, um, poultry ordinances, because I don't need to sound/look like more of a wackjob than I already do.

    So... if someone could just refer me to whatever website usually explains these sorts of things, I'd appreciate it. I cannot seem to find it on my own.

    P.S. I'm not a wackjob, I just like chickens.
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/s...y_sarasota.htm

    Looks like they consider chickens domestic animals. You may want to contact them for a definitive answer.

  4. #4
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Let me ask K later tonight and get back to you. He hunted down that information because he wants to raise hens in Portland when we get our house last year - turns out we can have up to four hens and no roosters. I don't know where he found that out though.

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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    This is an entertaining list of different city laws re: chickens.

    Whathisname's link didn't seem to definitively clarify, though it does look like at the least you would have to get permission. Call the county or city to be certain.

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    God/dess Jenny's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    http://network.nationalpost.com/np/b...yard-hens.aspx
    You know I think I was as impressed that a city politician actually changed his mind on something as anything.

    You might be limited to a lower number though. The Toronto chicken outlaw's website is here:
    http://www.torontochickens.com/Toron...s/Welcome.html
    I have taught that the sky in all its zones is mortal and its substance was formed by a process of birth

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    God/dess Jenny's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Oh, oh!
    I like these ones! You totally need to buy these chickens!
    http://www.mypetchicken.com/Ameraucana-B5.aspx
    I have taught that the sky in all its zones is mortal and its substance was formed by a process of birth

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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Chickens are cool, but what I really want is a goat. What kind of chickens do you want? Do you have a breed in mind?
    waffles are just pancakes with little squares on them.

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    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    ^^^ My mom's kept goats in a yuppie suburb. They're fun!

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    Senior Member Dixie_Vancouver's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Yay for a chicken named Dixie!

    Speaking of farm animals, I want a pet pig. My neighbour's have one and he's the most precious thing.

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    God/dess ViolaStrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    I live two miles from downtown Atlanta and my neighbors have a rooster. He is so cool. I think just about everywhere in the south is lenient about chickens.

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    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Quote Originally Posted by BohemianSiren View Post
    I want goats soooo bad!
    No, you don't. They never stop shitting. It sounds funny but I'm serious. Get even one goat and your entire yard will quickly be covered in a thick layer of trampled goat pellets. They have this nonstop river of pellets trailing behind them at all times. I personally never want to deal with goat shit on my jeans EVER AGAIN.

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    Featured Member Sinder's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bellona View Post
    My mom had a red chicken named dixie that my sister got her for mothers day. She was so cute!
    Ya, then spca came and told her they arent allowed any chickens within city limits..
    At least she found her a good home


    That lil' chicky is a Road Island Red! I had 6 of them when I was young. I raised mine in the middle of the city without any problems. They laid the biggest eggs I have ever seen....but I guess it was because I fed them all kinds of table scraps, they loved Chinese food and Kraft Dinner!

    They lived to be about 8 yrs old. I had named them Chirpsy, Tiffy, Peeps, Mugsy, Buttons and Cadbury.

    Sadly, Cadbury died young...she choked on a cricket. I tried to save her, but it isn't easy doing CPR on a chicken

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    God/dess Bella21's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Could you call to find where they do licensing and stuff for your part of town? Here, you need a special license for that. So, I'm sure if you gave them a call, they could either give you a yay or nay or direct you in the correct direction.
    If you think school is hard, try being stupid.

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    Bianca O'Blivion
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Aside from the legality issue, you might want to plan where you put the coop and where the chickens "graze".....Because my dad had a coop full of chickens BUT the new neighbors complained so much he got rid of them. Totally legal but he had to lose the chickens to keep the peace.

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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    lol at "quietly raise".

    Also, all I can think of is the "chicken lover" episode of South Park right now.

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    God/dess threlayer's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Call up the Town Clerk and/or Zoning Board and/or Animal Control Officer.

    Your biggest problem is likely to be stray dogs/packs that want access to your chickens; destroying them or scaring them to death.

    Do you plan in selling eggs or raising other chickens?
    Last edited by threlayer; 08-18-2008 at 06:50 AM.
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    Featured Member teeth_of_the_hydra's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    Holy poultry info, guys. Way to take seriously my silliest thread ever. I talked to my ex-BF's mom today who raises her own chickens-- Ameracaunas, the kind that Jenny suggested, though hers look like this:



    --and she suggested calling the town clerk, which some of you guys said. So that's on my to-do list for Wednesday (not tomorrow. Tomorrow Farley and I are snuggling in the closet while it hurricanes).

    In reply to the other questions posed:

    I do not know what kind of chickens I want, but I have been doing a little research. I know I'm way more interested in layers than in chickens you'd eat (roasters? fryers? edibles? I don't remember what they're called) so I am thinking about Leghorns, as they're little, very inexpensive to buy, and known for their assertive egg-laying. They are the regular-looking white chickens, not exquisitely beautiful but endearing enough in their own right, or so I imagine, knowing little about poultry but appreciating all the world's assorted creatures, etc. However, they're supposed to be more inclined to flying and pecking than other breeds, so maybe I'd have to trim their wings and faces or something. That would be interesting, because I'm from Queens. It's incredible enough that my maternal urges are being routed toward poultry; that I might have to manhandle them and give them beak-trims and feather-cuts is frankly unbelievable. But it sounds engaging, to say the least, and since most of my friends have moved away, I'm going to have to do something on what used to be board game night.

    It would of course be ideal if I didn't have to modify my chickens' bodies in any way, for those of you who might be gasping at the suggestion of animal cruelty. I'm just saying, it's my understanding that it sometimes goes with the territory.

    The other thing that seems to go hand-in-hand with chicken rearing is composting, as it seems like the most sanitary and low-impact way of disposing of chicken poop. Composting is cool and makes me feel like a good citizen of the earth, but I've never much cared to garden.

    So basically I may soon be living by myself in a house somewhere in Sarasota up to my eyes in chicken eggs and compost. When this happens, you are all invited to my Souffle/Mulch party.
    Drought was over. Where was I? Drinks were on the house.
    For mixers, my love, you'd poured--what?--even the rain.

  19. #19
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    OMG do you ever need to move to Portland. K and I are all excited about buying a house next summer so we can grow our own veggies and herbs, raise a pair of chickens for our eggs, and compost all our kitchen waste. We've both gotten really gung-ho about it. I'm glad we're not the only ones.

    Isn't it great to see so many people getting back in touch with the world?

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    Featured Member teeth_of_the_hydra's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    ^^^That sounds super for you guys... I am definitely excited to live in a manner more engaged with the natural processes of the earth. How are real estate prices in PDX looking? The only reason why any of this is seeming remotely possible to me is because of how the market has bottomed out here. Which benefits me as a potential buyer, of course, though I feel terrible for all the people facing foreclosure.
    Drought was over. Where was I? Drinks were on the house.
    For mixers, my love, you'd poured--what?--even the rain.

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    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    We're having the same thoughts. Our finances are looking better and better and the market is still down, so we're hoping we can get a really awesome deal next summer. We're getting a portable greenhouse to start our seeds in the spring at our apartment (on the balcony), so they should be ready to transplant once we have a yard to plant them in.

    Portland is so awesome for this kind of lifestyle. You should move near us and we can see whose chickens make better eggs.

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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    I just wrangled some random persons chickens at some random house in denver. Seriously. This woman just asked if I wanted to help her put up her chickens and I was really confused but said sure and sure enough there they were! The were black with brown spots and had feathers on their feet. They were really soft and pretty cool actually. They were the pretty chickens I've ever seen and apparently she got them sent to her in the mail...

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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    You know what's really cute? Mille Fleur chickens. They are cute and colorful and lay lots of little eggs. We raised them when I was a kid, and I just loved them.

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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?


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    Featured Member Perry's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I find out if it is legal to raise chickens in my town?

    My dad just got a few of these



    I love them! They remind me of David Bowie, he he!

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