Chickens in Ludlow for Public Viewing

8/7/2019 Chickens in Ludlow for Public Viewing

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Chickens In Ludlow

February 2011

Amanda Lewis

[email protected]

Facebook: Chickens in Ludlow


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Table of Contents

Introduction.......3

Chickens and the History of Suburban Development....4

Chickens in Ludlows Proposed Ordinance........4

Backyard Chickens are not Farm Animals...5

Backyard Coops are Attractive and Clean..5

Chickens Are Not a Nuisance.6

Chickens are Not Smelly......6

Chickens are Not Messy..6

Chickens are Not Noisy..6

Chickens Do Not Attract Rodents/Predators.....7

Chickens Do Not Pose a Public Health Risk....7

Chickens and the Environment.8

Water Quality and Runoff...........8

Living Sustainably........9

Chickens and Property Values.....10

Lot Size Doesnt Matter......10

Chickens Are Educational.........11

Chickens and Emergency Preparedness...11

Chickens and the Economic Crisis.....11

The Urban/Suburban Chicken Movement....12

Appendices.....13

Appendix A: The New Coop de Ville (Newsweek 11/17/08)....13

Appendix B: History on Prohibition of Chickens..17

Appendix C: Examples of Urban Backyard Coops.....18

Appendix D: Realtor Letters..20

Appendix E: Area Cities and Their Chicken Laws23

Appendix F: My Report from the Board of Health.44


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Introduction

In the postWWII decades, many urban and suburban communities

around the country instituted laws intended to distance us from ourthenunfashionable rural roots. It was a time when neighborhoods werebuilt without sidewalks, ChemLawn seemed like a great name for abusiness, and keeping chickens in the backyard served as anuncomfortable reminder of the fact Grandma used to slaughter a hen onthe back porch every Sunday morning. Suburbanites seeded their lotswith grass, installed lawn sprinklers, sprayed and sprayed and sprayed,and passed laws prohibiting chickens in urban and suburbanbackyards.

In recent years, many of us have started to realize that maintaining aclose connection to our food is a positive, not a negative, and is a part ofliving a more sustainable lifestyle. As people grow more concernedabout the economy, the environment, food safety, emergencypreparedness, and animal welfare, they are returning to the basic skillstheir grandparents understood well. Farmers Markets are experiencinga revival and people are gardening more, canning their food and raisingchickens. In response to citizens requests, many municipalities acrossthe country have adopted ordinances allowing residents to keep alimited number of egg-laying hens as pets, and communities around thenation are changing decadesold laws forbidding the keeping ofchickens.

Our request is not unreasonable or unusual. Cities across the country,large and small, allow a limited number of backyard hens. For example,chickens are allowed in Seattle, Chicago, Denver, Madison, Fort Collins,Vancouver, and New York. In fact, according to Newsweek Magazine,more than 65% of major U.S. cities now have chicken-keeping

ordinances (Appendix A).


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Chickens and the History of Suburban Development

Why Were Chickens Prohibited by Earlier Lawmakers?

The birth of the modern suburb was a time when many of us were

seeking to define ourselves as sophisticated and more like those in thecosmopolitan city than like those in unfashionable rural small towns andfarming communities. The car was a symbol of that cosmopolitanlifestyle, so we eliminated sidewalks why, after all, would anyone walkwho could afford to drive? The sidewalk became a symbol of povertyand backwardness. Later generations regretted that decision and manyhave retrofitted sidewalks and streetlights in their neighborhoods.

The keeping of chickens and other foodproducing animals was also

unfashionable during the decades immediately following World War II,and for similar reasons. The problem wasnt one of chickens creating anuisance; it was one of wanting to seem modern, cosmopolitan, andsophisticated. (Appendix B)

Chickens in Ludlows Proposed Ordinance

We propose that chickens not be added to the Citys definition of

livestock.

If the city feels chicken-keeping needs to be controlled more than isalready adequately addressed by current ordinances, 91.03[B7], whichrequires an animals pen, yard, lot or other enclosure to be kept in asanitary condition and free from preventable offensive odors, or 95.01(Public Nuisance 4) which forbids animals repeatedly at large, (PN 5)which forbids noise in an excessive, continuous or untimely fashion or(PN6) which forbids animals from urinating or defecating on property

not belonging to the animals owner or creates an unsanitary condition,we propose that an ordinance pertaining only to chickens be created.

Chickens in Ludlow proposes the following (CILs Proposed Ordinance):

1. Single family homes within the City of Ludlow shall be permitted tokeep no more than six (6) laying hens for household egg gathering.


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2. Roosters are prohibited.3. Slaughtering on property is prohibited.4. Chickens and their enclosures must be ten (10) feet from propertylines and not visible from the street.

5. Enclosures must be attractive and well-maintained.6. Chickens and their enclosures must be kept in a neat, clean andsanitary condition free from offensive odors, excessive noise, or anyother condition that would constitute a nuisance.

Backyard Chickens are not Farm AnimalsFor thousands of years, chickens, like dogs and cats, have livedalongside people in backyards large and small in cities and small towns.

Unlike a halfton bull or 400pound hog, a sixpound hen is notinherently a farm animal.

The typical laying hen starts to produce at four to six months, lays nearlydaily until she is 6, and then lives another two years. A crucial point isthat for backyard chickens (unlike their counterparts on farms), the endof productivity does not bring on the end of life. Commercial chickensare bred to produce large numbers of eggs very quickly and then to beculled and used for such things as animal food and fertilizer. Suburbanhens, however, are treated as individuals. They are typically named,

and when around age 6 they stop producing eggs, they are retired andtreated as pets for the remaining year or two of their lives.

Chickens are friendly, social, intelligent, affectionate, entertaining,lowmaintenance, small, quiet, and inexpensive to keep. They arequieter and cleaner than most dogs. They uniquely offer suburban andcitydwelling children the opportunity to understand a little more clearlywhere their food comes from, and they offer all of us the opportunity toproduce a little of our own food.

Backyard Coops are Attractive and Clean

Unlike large commercial poultry operations or rural farms, people incities and suburbs who keep chickens in their backyards tend to keepthem in attractive, well maintained enclosures and treat their chickens


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as pets. Backyard coops are no more of an inherent eyesore than atrampoline, play structure, or hot tub, and in fact many are portable sothat the chickens are never in one place long. Appendix C containsexamples of backyard coops on suburban and city lots.

CILs Proposed Ordinance requires that coops be attractive,wellmaintained, clean, sanitary, and free of odor or other conditionsthat would cause a nuisance.

Chickens Are Not a Nuisance

Chickens Are Not SmellyChickens themselves do not smell. Any possible odor would come from

their droppings, but 5 hens generate less manure than onemediumsized dog. The average chicken keeper is also a gardener, and(unlike the feces of dogs and cats, which carry pathogens and cant becomposted) chicken droppings represent an excellent source of freeorganic fertilizer when composted. Unsanitary conditions can result in abuildup of ammonia in largescale operations, which is why commercialpoultry facilities often smell. This is not the case for small backyardflocks.

CILs Proposed Ordinance requires that chickens and enclosures bemaintained in a sanitary condition free from offensive odors.

Chickens are Not MessyChicken enclosures used in city and urban settings tend to be attractiveand are easily maintained. Small flocks are managed with a minimum oftime and energy on the part of their owners.

CILs Proposed Ordinance requires that enclosures be attractive and

well maintained.

Chickens Are Not NoisyHens are quiet birds. Its only roosters that are known for loud morningcrowing, and roosters are not necessary for the production of eggs. Theoccasional clucking of hens is generally not audible beyond 25 feet.Some hens give a few squawks while actually laying an egg or bragging


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about it afterward, but this noise is very shortlived and much quieterthan barking dogs, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, passing trucks, childrenplaying, and other common neighborhood sounds.

CILs Proposed Ordinance requires that chickens be maintained in amanner free from excessive noise and that chickens and enclosures bekept 10 feet from the property lines, a distance at which most normalchicken noises are barely audible.

Chickens Do Not Attract Rodents/Predators to the AreaThe truth is that rodents already exist in Ludlow and are attracted to anyunprotected food source like bird feeders/seed, dog or cat food, opentrash cans and dumpsters. There are preventative measures in bothchicken food storage and coop design to prevent and or eliminate thisconcern.

Chickens Do Not Pose a Public Health RiskThe type of Avian Influenza that is contagious to humans has not beenfound in North America. Bird Flu is spread by contact with thecontaminated feces of wild migratory waterfowl. So the key issues aresanitation and contact with wild birds. Unlike rural farm birds whichmight comingle with migratory birds or drink from a shared pond,backyard chickens are contained in an enclosure and watered inside

this enclosure.

As reported in Newsweek Magazine (Appendix A):as the Washingtonbased Worldwatch Institute (an environmentalresearch group) pointed out in a report last month, experts including thePew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production have said that ifwe do see it, it'll be more likely to be found in factoryfarmed poultrythan backyard chickens. As GRAIN, an international sustainableagriculture group, concluded in a 2006 report: "When it comes to bird

flu, diverse smallscale poultry farming is the solution, not the problem."

Unlike cats and dogs which are prime vectors for rabies, parasites, andtickborne diseases, backyard chickens actually keep your yardhealthier for humans by eating ticks and other insects.


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Salmonella, which has been associated with raw eggs, is a problem withfactory farmed eggs, not with backyard chickens.

Chickens and the Environment

Water Quality and RunoffAccording to the OSU Extension Service(http://ohioline.osu.edu/b804/804_3.html)the average laying henproduces .2 .3 pound of droppings per day, as compared to theaverage dog which produces 1 pound (according to the National PetAlliance.)

Unlike dog and cat waste, chicken droppings can be composted for use

on gardens and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. Chickensreduce the need for pesticides and herbicides by eating bugs andweeds. By their very presence, chickens discourage the use of chemicallawn and garden sprays by their owners. Chicken keeping is likely torepresent a net improvement in water and runoff issues rather than theopposite.

Issues of manure runoff from eggproducing chickens are associatedwith huge factorystyle egg farms that generate tons of manure each day

in a very concentrated area. For those of us who wish to continue to eateggs in a sustainable fashion, lowdensity backyard chicken keeping isthe solution to runoff issues, not the problem. Gardeners usingcommercial organic fertilizers are very likely to be usingchickenmanure based products, and those keeping chickens will haveless need for even these. So keeping chickens wont increase even thenet amount oforganicfertilizers used; chickenkeeping gardeners willsimply be producing it themselves rather than purchasing it.

Living SustainablyIncreasing numbers of us are interested in living more sustainably, andmany communities, Ludlow included I am sure, are encouraging citizensto reduce waste and consumption of resources. Backyard chickens allowus to reduce our carbon footprint by producing some of our own food.Every food item we can produce organically and on our own property just outside our back door is one less item that must be shipped to us


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and shopped for. Every item of food we raise ourselves represents astep in living a greener, more sustainable, lifestyle.

People who have backyard chickens are less likely to use chemicals and

pesticides in their yards and gardens because its healthier for theirchickens. In return the chickens eat weeds and bugs that normallyplague unsprayed yards.

Composted chicken manure is one of the most efficient natural fertilizersand is provided for free with no need for transport.

Backyard chickens eat grass clippings which might otherwise end up inthe landfills and food scraps which might end up in the garbage andsewage.

Chickens and Property ValuesLocal Realtors say that the presence of an attractive, wellmaintainedbackyard chicken coop is no more likely to affect values for neighboringproperties than the presence of an attractive, wellmaintained backyardrabbit hutch. (Appendix D.)

In addition, some prospective home owners may be attracted to acommunity with a progressive stance on green issues such as chicken

keeping. Its impossible to know which stance is more likely to attractrather than repel the greater number of prospective home buyers theone that encourages conformity, or the one that encouragessustainability.

Lot Size Doesnt MatterChickens require very little space. Shelter for five or six hens does notrequire any more space than that represented by many kitchen tables,and a run of 4 square feet per hen is sufficient to keep them happy and

healthy. Households all over the country are keeping chickens on cityand suburban lots. Whether a backyard chickenkeeper has a quarter ofan acre or three hundred, he is likely to keep his hens in an enclosurewith the same small footprint.


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In order to assure the smallest of lots or unusual lot configuration doesntmean chickens can be near enough to neighboring properties to causean annoyance, CILs Proposed Ordinance requires that chickens andenclosures be 10 feet or more from property lines, which is the distance

at which most normal chicken noises are barely audible.

Chickens Are Educational

Chicken keeping offers suburban children the opportunity to learnwhere their food really comes from and about healthy, sustainable,nutritious food. They will see firsthand how kitchen scraps becomegarden fertilizer which in turn produces beautiful vegetables. Instead ofsimply hearing, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, they will actually experience

it. Suburban kids can participate in 4H or FFA programs throughkeeping chickens in a suburban yard.

Chickens and Emergency Preparedness

Many governments are asking community members to prepare foremergencies, whatever the cause. Many members of our communityrecently experienced firsthand the effects of an area wide emergencyon food supplies. Backyard chickens provide a constant stream of fresh

eggs without regard to the availability of electricity or refrigeration.Backyard hens will help our community be more food selfsufficientunder any circumstances.

Chickens and the Economic Crisis

The cost of food has risen dramatically lately, including the cost ofhighquality proteinrich nutrientdense food such as eggs. Cage free,organic eggs cost about $4 a dozen at Krogers. In comparison, four or

five backyard hens will require a total of about $60 in feed each yearand lay about 120 dozen eggs between them, depending on breed andage. Thats a savings of over $400 a year. In addition, an egg providesabout 7 grams of protein, which means those 120 dozen eggs obtainedat a cost of $60 per year will almost supply the complete protein needsof the average woman. The ability to raise some of your own food canhelp provide a greater sense of security in insecure times.


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The Urban/Suburban Chicken Movement

Chicken keeping is very popular among those who are concerned aboutthe environment, among those concerned about food safety and

security, and among those interested in selfsufficiency andpreparedness. Dozens of newspaper and magazine accounts ofcommunities which have changed their laws to allow chickens havebeen written. Several environmental and educational organizations herein the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati area are offering classes inBeginning ChickenKeeping, and these have proved popular.

By allowing chicken-keeping, Ludlow can join an elite class ofcommunities leading the way in promoting sustainable living. Lets not

change our ordinances now to prohibit chickens at the same time therest of the Nation is doing the opposite.


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Appendix A:

The New Coop de Ville(Newsweek 11/17/08)

The New Coop de VilleThe craze for urban poultry farming.Jessica BennettNEWSWEEKFor Brooklyn realestate agent Maria Mackin, the obsession started five years ago, on a tripto Pennsylvania Amish country. She, her husband and three childrennow17, 13 and 11sat down for brunch at a local bedandbreakfast, and suddenly the chefrealized she'd run out of eggs. "She said, 'Oh goodness! I'll have to go out to the garden andget some more'," Mackin recalls. "She cooked them up and they were delicious." Mackin andher husband, Declan Walsh, looked at each other, and it didn't take long for the idea toregister: Could we have chickens too? They finished their brunch and convinced thebedandbreakfast owner, a Mennonite celery farmer, to sell them four chickens. They

packed them in a little nest in the back of their Plymouth Voyager minivan and headed backto Brooklyn.

The family has been raising chickens ever since, in the backyard of their brick townhouse inan urban waterfront neighborhood called Red Hook. Every Easter, Mackin orders a newround of chicks, now from a catalog that ships the newborns in a ventilated box while theyare still feeding from their yolks. When they are grown, she offers up their eggsandoccasionally extra chickens, when she decides she's got too manyto friends andneighbors, and sells a portion to a local bistro, which touts the neighborhood poultry on itsWeb site. She gives the chicken manurea highquality fertilizerto a local communitygarden in exchange for hay, which she uses to pad the chickens' wirefenced coop.

Occasionally, she kills and cooks up a chicken for dinnerthough, she says, her chickensare egg layers and aren't particularly tasty. "We joke and call ourselves the Red HookPoultry Association," says the former social worker, who at one time housed 27 chicksinside her kitchenfor six weeks. "Sometimes people are like, 'This is really kind ofweird'."

As it turns out, Mackin is hardly an anomaly, in New York or any other urban center.Over the past few years, urban dwellers driven by the localfood movement, in cities fromSeattle to Albuquerque, have flocked to the idea of smallscale backyard chicken farmingmostly for eggs, not meatas a way of taking part in homegrown agriculture. This pastyear alone, grassroots organizations in Missoula, Mont.; South Portland, Maine; Ann Arbor,

Mich.; and Ft. Collins, Colo., have successfully lobbied to overturn city ordinances outlawingbackyard poultry farming, defined in these cities as egg farming, not slaughter. Ann Arbornow allows residents to own up to four chickens (with neighbors' consent), while the otherthree cities have sixchicken limits, subject to various spacing and nuisance regulations.

That quick growth in popularity has some people worried about noise, odor and publichealth, particularly in regard to avian flu. A few years back in Salt Lake Citywhich doesnot allow for backyard poultry farmingauthorities had to impound 47 hens, 34 chicks


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and 10 eggs from a residential home after neighbors complained about incessant cluckingand a wretched stench, along with wandering chickens and feathers scattered throughoutthe neighborhood. "The smell got to be unbelievable, "one neighbor told the local news.Meanwhile, in countries from Thailand to Australia, where bird flu has spread in the past,government officials have threatened to ban freerange chickens for fear they are

contributing to outbreaks. (In British Columbia, where officials estimated earlier this yearthat there are as many as 8,000 chicken flocks, an avian flu outbreak four years forced theslaughter of more than 17 million birds.)

But avian flu has not shown up in wild birds, domestic poultry or people in theUnited States. And, as the Washingtonbased Worldwatch Institute (an environmentalresearch group) pointed out in a report last month, experts including the Pew Commissionon Industrial Farm Animal Production have said that if we do see it, it'll be more likely to befound in factoryfarmed poultry than backyard chickens. As GRAIN, an internationalsustainable agriculture group, concluded in a 2006 report: "When it comes to bird flu,diverse smallscale poultry farming is the solution, not the problem."

Many urban farmers are taking that motto to heart. In New York, where chickens (but notroosters, whose loud crowing can disturb neighbors) are allowed in limitless quantities,there are at least 30 community gardens raising them for eggs, and a City Chicken Projectrun by a local nonprofit that aims to educate the community about their benefits. InMadison, Wis., where members of a grassroots chicken movement, the ChickenUnderground, successfully overturned a residential chicken ban four years ago, there arenow 81 registered chicken owners, according to the city's animalservices department."There's definitely a growing movement," says 33yearold Rob Ludlow, the Bay Areaoperator of BackyardChickens.com and the owner of five chickens of his own. "A lot ofpeople really do call it an addiction. Chickens are fun, they have a lot of personality. I think

people are starting to see that they're really easy petsand they actually producesomething in return."

Because chickens can be considered both livestock and pet, farming them for eggsorkeeping them as petsis unregulated in major cities like New York and Los Angeles. But itisn't legal everywhere. According to one recent examination by urbanagriculture expertJennifer Blecha, just 65 percent of major cities allow chicken keeping, while 40 percentallow for one or more roosters. (Hens don't need roosters to lay unfertilized eggs.)

Chicken slaughter, meanwhile, tends to fall under a separate (and generally stricter) set ofregulations, though they're not always enforced. Most cities that allow chicken farming

limit the number to four or six per household, so many urban farmers aren't raising enoughchickens to slaughter and sell anywaythough they may cook up a meal or two at home. Ifthey want to slaughter more, there are mobile slaughterhouses in places like Washingtonstate that will do the dirty work for you: USDAapproved refrigerated trucks will pull rightup to your doorstep.

Chicken farmers are finding each other on sites like TheCityChicken.com,UrbanChickens.org and MadCityChickens.com. BackyardChickens.com logs some 6million


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page views each month and has some 18,000 members in its forum, where communitymembers share colorful stories (giving a chicken CPR), photos (from a California chickenshow), even look to each other for comfort. "I am worried that nonBYC people won'tunderstand why a 34yearold woman would cry over a $7chicken," writes a Stockton, N.J.,woman, whose chicken was killed by a hawk.

Over at UrbanChickens.org, which launched this year, founder K. T. LaBadie, a master'sstudent in community planning, provides updates on city ordinances, info about localchickenfarming classes and coop tours and has been contacted by activists hoping tooverturn chicken bans around the nation. In Albuquerque, where she lives with herhusband and four chickensGloria, Switters, Buffy and Omeletresidents can keep 15chickens and one rooster, subject to noise ordinances, as well as slaughter the chickens forfood. In July, LaBadie wrote in detail of her first killing: she and her husband hung the birdby its legs, slit its throat, plucked its feathers and put it on ice. Then they slowcooked it for20 hours. "It's not pretty, it's kinda messy, and it's a little smelly," she writes. "But it's quitereal."

Meanwhile, at MadCityChickens.com, the Web site created by the Madison ChickenUnderground, chatline operator Dennis HarrisonNoonan has turned his chicken love intoa minibusiness: he's sold 2,000 design kits for his custommade playhouse chicken coop,which retails for $35. "It's really not that crazy to think that people are doing this," saysOwen Taylor, the urban livestock coordinator at Just Food, which operates the New YorkChicken Project. "Most of the world keeps chickens, and they've been doing so forthousands of years."

Historically, he's right. During the first and second world wars, the government evenencouraged urban farming by way of backyard "Victory Gardens" in an effort to lessen the

pressure on the public food supply. (Until 1859, there were 50,000 hogs living inManhattan, according to Blecha.) "It's really only been over the last 50 years or so thatwe've gotten the idea that modernity and success and urban spaces don't involve theseproductive animals," Blecha says.

There are a host of reasons for the growing trend. "Locavores" hope to avoid the carbonemissions and energy consumption that come with transporting food. Chicken owners andpoultry experts say eggs from backyard chickens are tastier and can be more nutritious,with higher levels of supplements like omega3 fatty acids. Their production cost is cheap:you can buy chickens for as little as a couple of dollars, and three hens will likely averageabout two eggs a day. You can also use their waste to help revitalize a garden. "There've

been recalls on everything from beef to spinach, and I think people want to have peace ofmind knowing their food is coming from a very trusted source," says LaBadie. "As gasprices go up, and people realize how food is connected to oil and transportation, they arebound to realize they can get a higher quality product cheaper if they get it locally."

Keeping a chicken is relatively easy, tooassuming you don't get too attached.(That's a talk Mackin says she had with her kids early: these chickens aren't pets.)


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They'll eat virtually anything"pork products, string cheese, even Chinese take out,"shelaughsand they feed on bugs and pests that can ruin a garden. They can withstand harshweather conditions. (In one ofttold tale, a Maine woman lost her chicken in a blizzard andfound it, a day later, frozen solid with its feet stuck straight in the air. She thawed it andadministered CPR. The chicken made a full recovery.) And much like New Yorkers, not

much bothers chickens grown in urban environments. "[Those] raised in a really controlledenvironment like factory farms are very fragile, both physically and emotionally," saysBlecha, who lives in St. Paul, Minn., with her partner and six chickens. "My chickens, I mowthe lawn a foot away from them and they don't even look up from their pecking."

But even urban chickens, who can live more than five years, can die easily: from predatorslike dogs or possums, catching a cold or sometimes for no apparent reason at all. Once, oneof Mackin's chicks got stuck in a glue trap. She drowned it, to put it out of its misery. "Thatwas really sad," she says. (Mackin doesn't name her chickens, for that very reason.)

But the overall experience seems to be positive for everyone. "We have people calling

weekly to say, 'This is really cool'," says Patrick Comfert, a spokesman forMadison's animalservices department, where the chicken ban was reversed in2004. "Chicken people love it, the neighbors don't care, we have no complaints."Minneapolis enthusiast Albert Bourgeois sums up the appeal. "Chickens are really funpets," he says. His flock is named Cheney, Condi, Dragon, Fannie and Freddie.The next one, he says, will be Obama.URL:http://www.newsweek.com/id/168740
http://www.newsweek.com/id/168740http://www.newsweek.com/id/168740http://www.newsweek.com/id/168740http://www.newsweek.com/id/168740


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Appendix B:History of Prohibitions on Chicken-Keeping

From Harvest of the Suburbs(2006) by Andrea Gaynor:In the 1960s it appears that, as Andrew BrownMay has suggested, the increasing

restriction on the keeping of productive animals was based as much on the abandonmentof a perceived outdated rural era in favor of a progressive urban ideology as it was onconcerns for health or the obviation of nuisances. This urban ideology part of themodern outlook included an element which lauded consumption and disparaged at leastsome types of production. Margo Huxley has proposed that such bylaws can be seen tosupport consumerist trends in domestic life by regulating the amount of(nonhorticultural) food production which can be undertaken on suburban blocks, butthey can also be seen as participating in the creation of those trends. (ed emphasis mine.) In other words, the exclusion of productive animals from residentialareas was one way in which various state instrumentalities generally operated bymiddleclass technocrats sought to produce clean, modern communities people withcosmopolitan commuters and consumers. Although vegetable gardening and fruitproduction remained acceptable suburban pastimes, in the ideal modern suburb, the whineof the Victa motor mower would no longer have to compete with cuckling and cackling


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Appendix C:Examples of Urban Backyard Coops

The Playhouse Coop

www.madcitychickens.com

The Eglu

www.omlet.us
http://www.omlet.us/http://www.omlet.us/


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Plans from Purinamills.com

And the resulting coop


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A Chicken Tractor

Home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/tractors.html


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Appendix D:Letters from Real Estate Agents


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Appendix E:Area Cities that Allow ChickensA note here, I took the liberty of editing the list to only include local cities with theexception of Louisville and Lexington. I thought it would be useful to show those two

because they are larger cities with people a bit more packed in, and lots the same

size if not smaller. A full list can be found athttp://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Ordinances.html

ALEXANDRIA

Chapter 90 of thecity ordinances for Alexandriapertains to keeping animals.

10.02 DEFINITIONS.

DOMESTIC ANIMAL. Any animal converted to domestic habitat. (KRS 446.010 (12))

90.02 ANIMALS RUNNING AT LARGE.

A. No person who is the owner of any animal shall permit it to run at large in the public

road, highway, street, lane, or alley, or upon unenclosed land, or permit it to go on any

private yard, lot, or enclosure without the consent of the owner of the yard, lot or

enclosure.

B. The owner of an animal who permits it to run at large in violation of this section is liable

for all damages caused by such animal upon the premises of another. Penalty, see

90.99

90.04 DYEING OR SELLING DYED CHICKS OR RABBITS.

No person shall sell, exchange, offer to sell or exchange, display or possess

living baby chicks, ducklings, or other fowlor rabbits which have been dyed or

colored; nor dye or color any baby chicks, ducklings or other fowlor rabbits; nor sell,

exchange, offer to sell or exchange or to give away baby chicks, ducklings or

other fowlor rabbits, under two months of age in any quantity less than six, except

than any rabbit weighing three pounds or more may be sold at an age of six weeks.

(KRS 436.600) Penalty, see 90.99

90.05 ABANDONING DOMESTIC ANIMALS PROHIBITED.
http://www.amlegal.com/library/ky/alexandria.shtmlhttp://www.amlegal.com/library/ky/alexandria.shtmlhttp://www.amlegal.com/library/ky/alexandria.shtmlhttp://www.amlegal.com/library/ky/alexandria.shtml


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No owner of a domestic animalshall abandon the animal. Penalty, see 90.99

BELLEVUE

SECTION 9.5 ANIMALS:Exotic animals, farm / livestock animals, and/or wildlife

are not permitted to be bred, raised, kept and/or housed on any property in any zone

within the City.

Article VII - Definitions

Agriculture:The use of land for purposes including but not limited to dairying, farming,

floriculture, horticulture,

pasturage, viticulture, and animal and poultry husbandryand the necessary accessoryuses for packing, treating, or

storing the produce; provided, however, that the operation of any such accessory use

shall be secondary to that of

the normal agricultural activities.

Animals, Farm / Livestock: (1) All cattle or animals of the bovine species; (2) all

horses, mules, burros and asses or

animals of the equine species; (3) all goats or animals of the caprice species; (4) all

swine or animals of the porcinespecies; (5) all sheep or animals of the ovine species; (6) all fowl or animals of the

order Galliforme (gamebirds); (7)

all ducks and geese or animals of the Anatidae (water fowl) family; and (8) all

ostrich, emu, rhea and cassowaries.

COLD SPRINGS

Based on theordinanceslisted below, it is possible to keep poultry in Cold Springs

under specific conditions.

92.03 CERTAIN CONDITIONS DECLARED A NUISANCE.

(L) Keeping of animals. The keeping of cattle or poultrywithin 100 feet of a dwelling

other than the dwelling of the owner of the animal, or failure to keep the animal's pen,
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yard, lot or other enclosure in a sanitary condition and free from preventable offensive

odors.

(Ord. 1988-21, passed 7-11-88; Am. Ord. 1992-13, passed 6-16-92) Penalty, see

92.99

Additional poultry-related ordinances:

90.04 DYEING OR SELLING DYED CHICKS OR RABBITS.

No person shall sell, exchange, offer to sell or exchange, display or possess living baby

chicks, ducklings, or other fowlor rabbits which have been dyed or colored; nor dye

or color any baby chicks, ducklings or other fowlor rabbits; nor sell, exchange, offer

to sell or exchange or to give away baby chicks, ducklings or other fowlor rabbits,

under two months of age in any quantity less than six, except that any rabbit weighing

three pounds or more may be sold at an age of six weeks.

(KRS 436.600) Penalty, see 90.99(C)

COVINGTON

Thecity ordinances for Covingtonare available online.

Definition: FOWL. Any and all fowl, domesticated and wild, male and female, including

chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigeons and geese. You can keep poultry for commercial

purposes, but NOT within 100 feet of another residence. A minimum of 10,000 squarefeet of land is required. To breed animals for commercial purposes (which would include

hatching and selling baby chicks) requires a license. Falconry is not allowed.

92.07 NOISE CONTROL

(A) Nuisance. No person shall make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any

loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise or any noise that either annoys, disturbs, injures, or

endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within the city. The

following loud, disturbing, and unnecessary noises are considered public nuisances and

violations of this code, but said list shall not be deemed all-inclusive:

(5)Animals, birds. The keeping of any animal or bird that causes frequent or long

continued noise that disturbs the comfort or repose of any persons in the vicinity is

prohibited.
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90.20 DEPOSITING ANIMAL REFUSE IN PUBLIC PLACES

No person shall deposit any dead animal matter, offal, or any solid refuse animal matter

in any sewer, watercourse, vacant lot, or pond in the city. The depositing of the refuse

animal matter in any such place is declared a public nuisance.

(`77 Code, 840.2, Sec. I(z)) (Ord. O-33-03, passed 6-24-03)

90.21 MINIMUM AREA LIMITATIONS

(A) No animal shall be kept on any lot or parcel of land within the city consisting of less

than 10,000 square feet in area.

(B) The provisions of division (A) above shall not apply to the keeping of: (1) Small

household pets to include, but not be limited to dogs and cats; or (2) Animals for

commercial purposes where such use is lawful under the zoning code.

(`77 Code,840.2, Sec. I(y)) (Ord. O-33-03, passed 6-24-03)

92.11 ANIMALS AND ANIMAL EXCREMENT

(A) No person shall keep or maintain any animalin the city in such a manner so as to

become a public nuisance or to disturb the peace, comfort, or health of any person

residing within the city. The keeping of all animals within the city shall also be subject to

all pertinent regulations of Chapter 90 of this Code of Ordinances and the Kentucky

Health Department.

(B) No animalshall be kept on any lot or parcel of land or property within the city

territorial limits consisting of less than 10,000 square feet in area. However, thisprovision shall not apply to small household pets, such as dogs or cats, or those

animalskept or maintained for commercial purposes, which is a lawful use under the

zoning code.

(C) (1) Any person having the custody and control of any dog, cat, or other domestic

animalon public property shall have the responsibility for cleaning up the excrement of

the animal and disposing of such feces in a sanitary manner. It shall also be the duty of

said person to have in his or her possession suitable equipment or supplies to pick up,

remove, and dispose of the animal excrement. (2) No person shall allow excessive

animal excrement to accumulate on his or her premises, including his or her yard. For

purposes of this section, EXCESSIVEshall mean more than five separate deposits or

droppings of animal excrement. Excessive accumulation of animal excrement is a public

nuisance and shall constitute a violation of this code, subject to the remedies set forth in

92.18 and 92.99 of this chapter.

(D) No person shall deposit any dead animal matter, offal, or any solid animal matter in


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any sewer, watercourse, vacant lot, public right-of-way, or pond or lake in the city. The

depositing of the refuse of animal matter in any such place is a public nuisance and

shall constitute a violation of this code, subject to the remedies set forth in 92.18 and

92.99 of this chapter.

(Ord. O-13-03, passed 4-1-03)

CRESTVIEW HILLS

No specific mention of poultry in theCrestview Hills ordinancesbut based on the

information below they are not specifically prohibited.

"DOMESTIC ANIMAL.quot; Animals that are habituated to live in or about the

habitations of human beings, and which are kept, cared for, sheltered, fed, or harbored

for use as a pet or as a source of food, raw materials or income.

"LIVESTOCK." Cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses or any other animals of the bovine,

ovine, porcine, caprine, or equine species.

90.07 ANIMALS TO BE UNDER CONTROL.

(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any animal owned or harbored by him or her, to

run at large. When livestock are running at large, Animal Control or the police shall make

reasonable efforts to notify the owner as soon as possible. If reasonably possible and feasible,

the owner of the livestock shall be notified prior to the actual capture and impoundment of the

livestock.

(Ord. 2006-3-1, passed 4-13-06) Penalty, see 90.99

ERLANGER

Thecity ordinances for Erlangerpermit you can keep poultry, but not within 500 feet

of any residence other than your own. The raising of homing and racing pigeonsis

allowed, under specific conditions.

91.04 KEEPING FOWL AND LIVESTOCK; RUNNING AT LARGE

(A) No person shall keep or harbor any fowl or livestock within the incorporated limits of

the city within 500 feet of any residence therein other than the residence of the owner.

(B) No person shall permit any fowl or livestock to run at large within the corporate limits

of the city; provided, that the provisions of this division shall not apply to any fowl
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confined in coops in any store where that fowl is sold for food, except that any fowl kept

for sale shall not be permitted to run at large at the place where the same is kept for

sale.

('69 Code 90.50)(Ord. 840, passed 2-15-55)

91.05 HOMING OR RACING PIGEONS

(A) There is exempted and removed from the applicable provisions of 91.04, the

raising and breeding of homing or racing pigeons within the city.

(B) All lofts, bins, and other structures used by residents of the city to raise, breed, and

otherwise house homing pigeons shall conform to all existing rules and regulations of

the planning and zoning regulations of the city.

(C) It is further provided that no structure shall be so located on any lot that is closer

than 100 feet from the nearest adjoining residence.

(D) Any loft or structure used for the purposes herein set out shall be not less than six

inches above the ground and shall contain adequate ventilation and circulation. The

structure shall be kept clean and free from any offensive odors and shall otherwise be

built in accord with all acceptable standards and practices for the raising and care of

racing or homing pigeons.

(E) Plans and specifications for the construction of the lofts shall be first submitted to

the City Building Inspector for approval, and, in addition thereto, be inspected and

approved.

FLORENCE

Thecity ordinances for Florencedon't specifically address whether or not you can

keep poultry but they do have an ordinances preventing any such poultry from 'running

at large.'

91.15 ANIMALS DISTURBING THE PEACE.

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep within the city any animal which by reason of

frequent or continual noise or unsanitary conditions, disturbs the peace, comfort, orhealth of the neighbors.

(Ord. O-4-86, passed 2-11-86) Penalty, see 91.99

91.16 ANIMALS, LIVESTOCK RUNNING AT LARGE.

(A) It shall be unlawful for any person(s) to permit any animal owned or harbored by

him, to run at large as defined in 91.01 in any area of Boone County.
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When livestock are found running at large, the animal control officer or county police or

other peace officer shall make reasonable effort to notify the owner as soon as possible.

If reasonably possible and feasible, the owner of livestockshall be notified prior to the

actual capture and impoundment of the livestock.

(B) This section shall not be construed to allow the keeping or harboring of any animal

in the city, the keeping or harboring of which is prohibited by any other statute,

ordinance, regulation, or law.

(Ord. O-1-1897, passed 3-1-1897; Am. Ord. O-42-76, passed 9-28-76; Am. Ord. O-30-

88, passed 11-8-88) Penalty, see 91.99

"LIVESTOCK." Cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses or any other animals of the bovine,

ovine, porcine, caprine, or equine species.

FORT THOMAS

According tocity ordinances for Fort ThomasIt is illegal to raise poultry for profit but

you can apply for permission to keep female chickensfor personal, family or home use.

If approved, a license is issued but it can be revoked if certain conditions are not met.

No roostersare allowed and the number of chickensmust be less than 100. You can

NOT keep turkeys, guineas, ducks, geeseor pigeons.

91.04 RAISING CHICKENS OR RABBITS

(A) It shall be unlawful to keep or raise chickensor rabbits for sale or profit in the city.

(B) It shall be lawful to keep or raise chickensand rabbits in the city for personal,

family, or home use. However, any person desiring to raise or keep chickens or

rabbits shall make an application in writingand signed by him to the Zoning

Administrator requesting that a license to do so be issued, and agreeing therein that the

city, by its officers or members of the Police Department be permitted at all times to

inspect the premises for the purpose of determining whether or not they are maintained

in a sanitary condition and whether all of the provisions of this section are observed.

(C) The Zoning Administrator is hereby authorized and directed to issue licenses toapplicants pursuant to the terms of this section, without any charge or expense to the

applicant whatsoever. It shall be unlawful to use, operate, or maintain any coop, hutch,

run-way, or enclosure for chickensor rabbits within 50 feet of any dwelling house,

except the dwelling house on the same premises.

(D) It shall be unlawful for any person to raise a rooster in the city or for any one
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family to keep or raise more than 100 chickens. It shall be unlawful to let any

chickens or rabbits run at large; and it shall be unlawful to keep or raise chickensor

rabbits or to maintain any coop, hutch, building, or enclosure for them in an unclean or

unsanitary condition.

(E) In the event that any person fails to comply with all of the requirements of this

section or violates any of the terms of this section, the license for the raising

of chickensor rabbits to that person shall be revoked by order of the appropriate court

of the city, or by resolution of the City Council.

('83 Code, 91.04) (Ord. 623, passed 5-3-43)

91.05 RAISING FOWL PROHIBITED

It shall be unlawful to keep or raise turkeys, guineas, ducks, or geese in the city.

('83 Code, 91.05) (Ord. 0-24-75, passed 11-3-75)

91.06 ANIMALS OR FOWL RUNNING AT LARGE

It shall be unlawful to permit any animals or fowlto run at large on the streets of the city

or permit the same to trespass upon the land of another.

('83 Code, 91.06) (Ord. 0-24-75, passed 11-3-75)

91.07 PIGEONS DECLARED A NUISANCE

(A) It is hereby declared that pigeons are a public nuisance, and it shall be unlawful for

any persons to harbor, keep, or feed flocks of pigeonswithin the city.

(B) Whenever it shall appear, on complaint of citizens or otherwise, that pigeons are

constituting a nuisance in any part of the city, the Chief of Police shall be authorized to

use all necessary means to destroy the pigeons.

('83 Code, 91.07) (Ord. 0-15-71, passed 8-2-71)

FORT WRIGHT

It is unclear from thecity ordinances for Fort Wrightwhether or not poultry can be

kept since the definition of livestock does not include poultry.

LIVESTOCK. Cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses or any other animals of the bovine,

ovine, porcine, caprine, or equine species. [Does not appear to include poultry]

90.07 KEEPING OF LIVESTOCK PROHIBITED.

The keeping of livestockis prohibited. No person shall keep any livestock whether
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owned by him, or not, on his property within the city, except grandfathered farms.

(Ord. 581-99, passed 4-14-99)

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS

Thecity ordinances for Highland Heightspermit the keeping of poultry under certain

restrictions.

ANIMAL. Any live vertebrate creature.

DOMESTICATED. Any animal kept, cared for, sheltered, fed or harbored for use in

work, for use as a pet, or as a source of food, raw materials or income.

91.05 ANIMAL FIGHTS AND RACES

(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to stage, cause, instigate, permit, observe, orattend any dogfight, cockfight, bullfight or other combat between animals or between

animals and humans.

('81 Code, 820.1, 5(d))

(B It shall be unlawful for any person to set free any hare, rabbit or other animals in the

city for the purpose of chasing, fighting, or having a race thereafter.

('81 Code, 820.1, 5(e))

91.07 GIVING ANIMALS AS PRIZES

No person shall give away any live animal as a prize or for inducement to enter anycontest, game or other competition, or as inducement to enter any place of business or

to use as an incentive to enter into any business agreement, whereby the offer was for

the purpose of attracting the trade.

('81 Code, 820.1 5(n))

91.08 COLORING ANIMALS

It shall be unlawful for any person to color, stain or dye or otherwise change the natural

color of any live animal or to offer such colored animals for sale in the city. [Expands on

the state regulations against coloring chicks and ducklings]

('81 Code, 820.1, 5(o))

91.12 KEEPING AND STORAGE OF LIVESTOCK

(A) The keeping of fowlor small animals whether or not primarily for gain is permitted

provided that the enclosures for such fowland small animals shall be at least twenty
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feet distance from every lot line.

(B) The keeping of horses, cows, and other livestock whether or not primarily for gain

shall be permitted only in an enclosure which shall be a distance of at least one hundred

feet from every lot line.

(C) Animal wastes. No manure or bedding shall be stored or kept within one hundred

feet of any lot line and same is prohibited unless stored or kept in a sanitary manner

and so as not to emit or produce noxious or objectionable odors to the extreme that

such may constitute a public nuisance.

(D) Any person using the public streets of the city for riding of or transportation of

horses, cows, or other livestock shall be responsible for the cleaning and proper

disposal of manure, waste, or any other matter left on said streets as a result.

('81 Code, 820.2)

91.13 COMMERCIAL ANIMAL ESTABLISHMENT.

Any person operating a commercial animal establishment shall post a visible notice

containing the names and phone numbers of persons to be notified in case of an

emergency.

('81 Code, 820.1, 5(h)

LEXINGTON-FAYETTE COUNTY

You are allowed to keep poultry, providing the proper stipulations are followed with

regard to housing and odors. If selling hatchlings, a minimum of six must be sold at

one time.

State law referenceAgriculture and animals, KRS ch. 246 et seq.

Sec. 4-1. AUCTION SALES ON STREETS

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to sell by public auction any loose animal on any

street, alley or public highway within the urban county or to expose for sale thereon

animals in droves, herds or flocks.

(b) Each violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding twenty-five

dollars ($25.00).

Cross references: Auctions generally, 13-23 et seq.

Sec. 4-6. FIGHTS; WAGERING

(a) Intentionally causing or instigating the fighting of animals or fowlin the urban county
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is hereby prohibited.

(b) Any person who shall be present at and abet or encourage any such fights and any

person who shall bet any money or other thing of value upon the results of any such

fight shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars

($100.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisonment for a term not

to exceed twelve (12) months, or both, for each act which shall be a separate offense.

(Ord. No. 10-99, 1, 1-28-99)

Sec 4-7. SELLING DYED CHICKS OR OTHER BABY FOWL

Any person who shall sell or offer for sale at retail living baby chicks, ducklings or other

fowl which have been dyed, colored or otherwise treated so as to import artificial color,

shall be subject to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more than

five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisonment for a term not to exceed twelve (12)

months, or both, for each act which shall be a separate offense.

(Ord. No. 10-99, 1, 1-28-99)

Sec. 4-8. SELLING CHICKS OR OTHER BABY FOWL IN SMALL NUMBERS

Any person who shall sell or offer for sale at retail living baby chicks, ducklings or

other fowlunder two months of age in any quantity less than six shall be subject to a

fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more than five hundred dollars

($500.00) or imprisonment for a term not to exceed twelve months, or both, for each act

which shall be a separate offense.(Ord. No. 10-99, 1, 1-28-99)

Sec 4-10. FOWL GOING AT LARGE

(a) No person owning or having in his custody and control any fowl shall permit same to

run at large, or to go upon the grounds or property of another, or beyond the bounds of

the property of such owner or person in control of such fowl.

(b) Any person who shall violate any provision of this section shall be fined not less than

one dollar ($1.00) nor more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for each offense.

State law referenceStrays and animals running at large, KRS ch. 259.

Sec. 4-12. NOISY ANIMALS, KEEPING

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, pasture or harbor within any area of the

urban county except those zoned agricultural any bull, cow or other animal that bellows

or otherwise makes such noise as to disturb the peace and quiet of the people in the
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neighborhood where the same is kept.

(b) Any person violating this section shall be fined not less than five dollars ($5.00) nor

more than fifteen dollars ($15.00) for each offense.

Cross referenceNoise disturbances, 14-71 et seq.

Sec. 4-12.1. GIVING AWAY LIVE ANIMALS AS PRIZES PROHIBITED

(a) As used in this section "animal" includes every living creature, domestic or wild,

except a human being.

(b) It shall be unlawful within any area of the county for any person to offer or give away

any live animal as a prize or reward in connection with any raffle, protest,

demonstration, promotion, or as a part of any gratuity or pecuniary exchange to induce

entry into any game, contest or other competition, except livestockoffered or given

away as a part of a farm youth education program.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the auction or sale of animals.

(d) Any person who shall violate this section shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to

a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisonment for a term not to

exceed twelve months, or both for each offense. Each offering or giving away of an

animal in violation of this section shall be deemed a separate offense.

(Ord. No. 201-91, 1, 9-5-91; Ord. No. 282-95, 1, 12-7-95)

Sec. 4-12.2 NUISANCES CREATED BY ANIMALS

(a) It shall be unlawful for the owner or harborer of an animal to permit:

1. Any animal to attack, chase or snap at pedestrians or passersby;

2. The accumulation of animal excrement so as to cause unsightly litter or fouling of the air

by odor and thereby create an unreasonable annoyance or discomfort to neighbors or

others in close proximity to the premises where the animal is kept or harbored; or

3. Unsanitary conditions in enclosures or surroundings where the animal is kept or

harbored.

(b) Any person who violates this section shall be punished by a fine of not less thantwenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for a first

offense; not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00)

for a second offense in a twelve-month period; not less than one hundred dollars

($100.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for a third offense in a twelve-

month period; and not less than two hundred dollars ($200.00) nor more than five
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hundred dollars ($500.00) for a fourth and each subsequent offense in a twelve-month

period. Each day's continuance of any such violation shall be a separate offense.

(c) Any animal which is the subject of any violation of this section may be impounded as

set forth in section 4-21.

(Ord. No. 31-93, 1, 3-11-93; Ord. No. 108-2009, 2, 6-25-09)

Sec. 4-21. IMPOUNDMENT.

(a) Any dog, fowl or head of livestock found running at large within the urban county,

unless accompanied by the owner, custodian, possessor or harborer, and under his

immediate control and not confined on the premises of the owner, custodian, possessor

or harborer, shall be taken up by an animal control officer and held in the animal shelter

designated as the urban county animal shelter. Each dog, head of livestock

or fowlshall be there confined in a humane manner for a period of not less than five

days and each cat shall be there confined in a humane manner for a period of not less

than three days, unless sooner claimed by their owners, custodians or persons entitled

to possession thereof, and may be disposed of in a humane manner if not otherwise

claimed, sold or adopted. Equine and bovine livestock shall be confined for the period

required by state law.

(b) The urban county animal control officer may transfer title to all animalsheld after

the legal detention period in subsection (a) hereof has expired and the animal has not

been claimed by its owner, custodian or other person entitled to possession thereof,

provided the person to whom title is being transferred licenses said animal and pays forrabies inoculation for said dog or cat, together with the boarding and adoption charges

levied by the urban county animal shelter, and in addition thereto pays the pickup fee

payable to the animal shelter provided in subsection (c) hereof.

(c) Any owner, custodian or other person entitled to the possession of a dog, cat, head

of livestock, orfowlimpounded under subsection (a) hereof may claim the animal upon

proof that said dog or cat has been inoculated against rabies or purchase of a

vaccination voucher from the animal shelter; payment of boarding charges at the rate of

eight dollars ($8.00) per day, including the first and last day of impoundment, levied by

the urban county animal shelter; payment to the urban county of any fine due under

section 4-19(e) hereof; compliance with the redemption requirements for dogs and cats

under subsection (d); and payment of a pickup fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for

each fowlor head of livestock impounded, which pickup fee shall be paid into the

general services fund of the urban county government. The agency designated by the

urban county government responsible for enforcement of this ordinance may waive all
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impoundment and boarding fees if the impoundment of an animal resulted from an

emergency situation, such as fire or natural disaster.

(d) In addition to the requirements in subsection (c) above, any owner, custodian or

other person entitled to the possession of an impounded dog or cat may redeem the

animal by paying a redemption fee. For the first impound within a twelve-month period,

the fee is twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for an altered dog or cat and seventy-five dollars

($75.00) for an unaltered dog or cat. For the second and each subsequent impound

within a twelve-month period, the fee shall be doubled. Twenty-five dollars ($25.00) of

the fee from each impound fee for an unaltered dog or cat shall be paid into the general

fund and the balance shall be paid into the spay and neuter fund. In lieu of paying the

impound fee for an unaltered animal, the owner may elect to have the animal spayed or

neutered by a licensed veterinarian provided by the Lexington Humane Society, at a

cost not exceeding the sum of fifty dollars ($50.00).(Ord. No. 5387, 4, 12-9-65; Ord. No. 58-74, 1, 4-18-74; Ord. No. 108-77, 1, 4-21-77;

Ord. No. 168-77, 1, 6-30-77; Ord. No. 233-96, 5, 11-21-96; Ord. No. 316-2000, 1, 10-

26-00; Ord. No. 90-2005, 9, 4-21-05; Ord. No. 285-2008, 1, 12-9-08; Ord. No. 95-

2009, 1, 6-25-09)

Sec. 4-23.1. RESPONSIBILITY OF OWNER TO REMOVE ANIMAL EXCRETA FROM

WASTE REMOVAL AREAS

(1) The custodian of every animalshall remove any excreta deposited by his/her

animal(s) within the urban service boundary on public walks, streets, recreation areas orprivate property belonging to another.

(2) Any excreta not removed in violation of subsection (1) above is declared to be a

public nuisance.

(3) Any person violating any provision of this section shall, upon conviction thereof by a

court of competent jurisdiction, be fined not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each

violation.

(Ord. No. 122-91, 1, 7-2-91; Ord. No. 39-93, 1, 3-11-93)

LOUISVILLE-JEFFERSON COUNTY

In theordinances for Louisvillethe definition for livestock includes poultry. There is a

separate definition for what constitutes poultry. The keeping of poultry are allowed, with

some restrictions based on land available and whether they are crowing or non-crowing.
http://library.municode.com/HTML/11163/level3/COOR_CH4ANFO_ARTIIDO.html#COOR_CH4ANFO_ARTIIDO_S4-23.1REOWREANEXWAREARhttp://library.municode.com/HTML/11163/level3/COOR_CH4ANFO_ARTIIDO.html#COOR_CH4ANFO_ARTIIDO_S4-23.1REOWREANEXWAREARhttp://library.municode.com/HTML/11163/level3/COOR_CH4ANFO_ARTIIDO.html#COOR_CH4ANFO_ARTIIDO_S4-23.1REOWREANEXWAREARhttp://www.louisvilleky.gov/AnimalServices/animal_ordinanceshttp://www.louisvilleky.gov/AnimalServices/animal_ordinanceshttp://www.louisvilleky.gov/AnimalServices/animal_ordinanceshttp://www.louisvilleky.gov/AnimalServices/animal_ordinanceshttp://library.municode.com/HTML/11163/level3/COOR_CH4ANFO_ARTIIDO.html#COOR_CH4ANFO_ARTIIDO_S4-23.1REOWREANEXWAREARhttp://library.municode.com/HTML/11163/level3/COOR_CH4ANFO_ARTIIDO.html#COOR_CH4ANFO_ARTIIDO_S4-23.1REOWREANEXWAREAR


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91.001 DEFINITIONS

Definition of livestock:Cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, llamas, buffaloes, or any

other animals of the bovine, ovine, porcine, lagomorph, caprine, or equine species, deer

and elk, whose regulatory requirements are under KRS Chapters 150 and 246, as well

as poultry, ratites[technically ratites are poultry], and cervine, that are privately owned

and raised in a confined area for breeding stock, food, fiber, and other products.

Definition of poultry: Chickens, ducks, turkeys, or other domestic fowl.

(7) All livestock other than poultryas set forth in subsection (8), below shall be

confined by a fence in good repair sufficient to prevent the animal(s) from leaving the

owner's property. Livestockfound not restrained by a fence in good repair and which

present a threat to public safety may be removed and the owner charged with a

violation of this section.

(8) All crowing and non-crowing poultrymust be kept on tracts or lots of at least 0.5

acres or more, unless a tract or lot is on less than 0.5 acres and only houses five or less

non-crowing poultry, and no more than one crowing poultryin accordance with the

remainder of this subsection. All crowingand non-crowing poultryshall be kept in a

fence or structure of sufficient height and construction to prevent the animal(s) from

leaving the owner's property. The fence or structure must be in good repair. All gates or

doors to the fence or structure shall fit properly and shall be locked or secured by a

latch. Poultryassociated with an agricultural use shall not be subject to the restraint

requirement as set forth herein.

91.010 SANITARY DISPOSAL OF ANIMAL FECES REQUIRED

(A) It shall be unlawful for any owner or person in charge of a dog, cat, ferret, or other four-

footed mammal, poultry or other fowlto permit such animal to be on school grounds, metro

parks or other public property, or on any private property other than that of the owner or person

in charge or control of such animal without the permission of the owner of said property, or on

any streets, sidewalks, highways, or rights-of-way of the Metro Government other than duly

designated bridle paths, unless the owner or person in charge of such animals:

(1) Has, in his or her possession, a suitable device for the picking up, collection and proper

sanitary disposal of the animal feces or manure.

(2) Immediately removes all feces deposited by such animal(s) and disposes of same in a

sanitary manner.


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MAYSVILLE

Couldn't find anycity ordinancesspecifically allowing (or not allowing) the keeping ofpoultry, but based on the ordinances below it is implied that they are.

191.02 ANIMALS RUNNING AT LARGE ON FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECT

No person being the owner of any domestic animal or fowlshall permit the animal

or fowlto be herded, kept or detained or allowed to run at large on the flood protection

project or its right-of-way.

(1991 Code, 191.02) (Ord. 233, passed 2-12-1951)

191.03 PUBLIC NUISANCE TO HARBOR ANIMALS THAT DISTURB THE PEACEIt shall be unlawful for any owner to fail to exercise proper care and control of his or her

animals to prevent them from becoming a public nuisance. Excessive, continuous

barking or making such noise as to disturb the peace and quiet of the neighborhood at

any time during the night or day; molesting passersby; chasing vehicles; trespassing

upon private property in such manner as to damage property; and habitually attacking

other domestic animals is declared a public nuisance.

(1991 Code, 191.03 (Ord. 654, passed 4-13-1971)

190.06 ANIMALSIt shall be unlawful to own, possess or harbor any animal or bird that frequently or for

continued duration howls, barks, meows, squawksor makes other sounds that create a

noise disturbance across a residential or commercial real property line or within a noise

sensitive zone. This provision shall not apply to public zoos or animal shelters.

(1991 Code, 190.06)

.NEWPORT

Couldn't find any ordinances specifically allowing for the keeping of poultry, but contentof other ordinances would indicate that it is allowed.

AGRICULTURE:The use of land for agricultural purposes including agriculture,

dairying, farming, floriculture, horticulture, pasturage, viticulture, and animal and poultry

husbandry and the necessary accessory uses for packing, treating, or storing the
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produce; provided, however, that the operation of any such accessory use shall be

secondary to that of the normal agricultural activities.

LIVESTOCK:Domestic animals of types customarily raised or kept on farms for profit or

other productive purposes.

96.02 POSSESSION OF LIVESTOCK, WILD, EXOTIC, UNDOMESTICATED

ANIMALS AND REPTILES.

It is unlawful for any person to possess, harbor, keep, maintain, display or have in his or

her possession or in his or her control, in any public place within the City, any livestock

or any wild, exotic or undomesticated animal or reptile or to possess, harbor, keep,

maintain, display or have in his or her possession or control any dangerous animal or

reptile in any place within the City.

(1995 Code, 6.04.020) (Ord. O-94-22, passed - -)

96.03 EXCEPTIONS

The provisions stated herein shall not apply to any licensed pet shop; any zoological

garden; aquariums, any bona fide licensed veterinary office, clinic or hospital; any bona

fide educational or medical institution where the animals may be kept as live or for

study, treatment or sale; any circus, carnival or other entertainment event which is

authorized and permitted by law.

(1995 Code, 6.04.030) (Ord. O-94-22, passed - -)

96.04 PROTECTION OF BABY FOWL

It is unlawful for any person to sell, or offer for sale, barter or give away, baby

chicks, ducklingsor other fowlsas pets or novelties or to dye, color or otherwise

artificially treat baby chicks, ducklingsor other fowlsin the City. Nothing herein shall

be construed to prohibit the display or sale of natural chicksor ducklingsin proper

brooder facilities by hatcheriesor stores engaged in the business of selling the same to

be raised for commercial purposes.

(1995 Code, 6.04.040)

96.05 CRUELTY TO FOWL

It is unlawful for any person to overcrowd domestic fowl or poultryin any crate, box or

other receptacle, or to fail to provide proper food, water, shelter or sanitation for same.

(1995 Code, 6.04.050)


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96.06 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS GENERALLY

It is unlawful for any person to neglect or cruelly treat or mistreat any animalin any

manner or form, or to fail to provide adequate food and shelter for any animal owned or

harbored by him or her or to abandon any animal within the City.

(1995 Code, 6.04.060)

Questions/Comments Copyright An Equal Opportunity University

University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture

Last Updated: Wednesday, August 25, 2010
mailto:[email protected]?Subject=Questions%20related%20to%20small%20flocks%20websitemailto:[email protected]?Subject=Questions%20related%20to%20small%20flocks%20websitehttp://www.uky.edu/Home/Web/eo/http://www.uky.edu/Home/Web/eo/http://www.uky.edu/Home/Web/eo/http://www.uky.edu/Home/Web/eo/mailto:[email protected]?Subject=Questions%20related%20to%20small%20flocks%20website


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Chicken Keeping in Ohio and Property Values from

http://cincinnatilocavore.blogspot.com/2009/06/chicken-keeping-and-property-values.html

Suburb Chicken-Keeping Ordinances* 2007 Average Home Sales Price**

Indian Hill Permit $1019K

Terrace Park Generally Permit $ 400K

Mariemont Permit $ 345K

Wyoming Generally Permit $ 326K

Symmes Township Permit $ 313K

Montgomery Generally Permit $ 297K

Evendale Generally Permit $ 288K

Glendale Generally Permit $ 274K

Mason Essentially Prohibit $ 213K

Madeira Generally Permit $ 212K

Blue Ash Case by Case*** $ 202K

Loveland Generally Permit $ 174K


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Fairfield Essentially Prohibit $ 166K

Sycamore Township Essentially Prohibit $ 165K

Sharonville Restricted $ 157K

Milford Generally Permit $ 152K

Springdale Essentially Prohibit $ 144K

Reading Restricted $ 131K

Deer Park Generally Permit $ 130K

Silverton Essentially Prohibit $ 127K

St Bernard Generally Permit $ 124K

Norwood Prohibit $ 119K

Mt Healthy Essentially Prohibit $ 116K

* Generally Permit: chicken keeping is allowed under minor restrictions intended to prevent chickens

from becoming a nuisance. Restricted: chicken-keeping is allowed, but ordinances will prevent a

significant number of residents from keeping chickens. Essentially Prohibit: chickens are allowed under

such profound restrictions as to prevent most residents from keeping chickens.** Source:city-data.com

*** Blue Ash requires "suburban farms" practicing "poultry husbandry" to have at least five acres, but they

don't define "poultry husbandry." The city compliance inspector I asked about this said that a few

backyard chickens would likely be handled on a case-by-case basis if there were complaints.
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Appendix F:My personal Report from the Board Of Health based on an Anonymous Complaint

Chickens in Ludlow for Public Viewing

Documents

Transcript of Chickens in Ludlow for Public Viewing