So I fought with the town today because they told me I could not have chickens. I asked about the specific ordinance and they could not tell me. They gave me a link, and I read and poked around for hours.

The reason being, they said the coop needed to be 75 ft off all property lines. Geez my lot is only 75x125.

So to start here is the ordinances for most if not all states.

eCode360 Library | General Code


With that said in my town they have a right to farm law. Basically it says this. ( You don't have to read it all. I highlighted the important part in red.)


[h=4]§ 244-1. Findings.[/h]

 

I used to have chickens and my grandson has 25 hens [he got thru 4H] Never had any inside the city limits although I think they have recently allowed hens locally [3 or 4 max] I've always built my own coop/pen. Never heard of anyone using sand and cleaning the manure out like a litter box but I guess it would be imperative to keep the smell down when you have neighbors close by.

 

Congrats on beating city hall!

I live in farm country with 2 horses and 10 chickens right now, all hens. (I culled the roosters) I find it a lot of fun and even enjoy watching the chickens as they poke and scratch around. I let them free range in the day and they will go back to the coop at night so I close them up at night to keep critters out.

Chickens LOVE sand and will roll and dust in it. I am not sure how well it is with the poo because it tends to be pretty mushy. I use wood shavings. One bale will last me about a month or longer depending if they are outside.

The coop you list looks pretty nice with a good sized run but I should ask, what are you going to do in the winter? Chickens can be very cold tolerant but when it gets below 10 degrees they will need heat. Also, you will need to have unfrozen water for them. My coop is insulated with XPS foam (keep all foam covered, chickens love to peck it) and I heat it with a 125-250 watt lamp depending how cold it is.
I agree with having a coop you can stand up in. IIRC you have a shed in your yard, could you add on to that? Check craigslist, you might find some good designs and build/modify your own. This is a DIY site you know.

This site is very good and helpful: Raising BackYard Chickens, Build a Chicken Coop, Pictures of Breeds

More interesting links:
Interesting Facts About Chicken Eggs - BackYard Chickens Community

 

Lawrosa,

I would say that Tolyn has this covered fairly well, but on the zoning/coup issue, you may want to ask on Findlaw.com as they specialize in answering questions about laws/regulations and have folks who are state specific that may be able to help you out, so there are no legal issues. Just a thought...

 

Here is the sand for litter article.

Using Sand In Your Chicken Coop - BackYard Chickens Community

And here.

Sand Floor Method For Chicken Coop

Mike NJ

 

OK took the deck apart in the back that is not used really. I may put decking around the front and side perimeter as a walk around. Plus to get to in the winter that I can shovel off the snow and have a place to stand.

I will probably fill the center with river sand as described in the links I posted previously.



So here is the start.

Here is the deck as it was.





Here I took off the decking today.








Mike NJ

 

A walk in is much easier to keep clean and collect eggs. I have an end of my barn that has a walk in door, so I built the laying area and an entrance door for them, as well as walls to keep them off my other stuff. I use heat lamps on Thermocubes in the winter time, situated to keep them warm and pointed to the water supply which keeps it thawed out. I have an electric heated waterer up at the house for when they range up there. It really works well. I use wood shavings, either commercial or off my planer. They absorb the poop a little better. I scatter sand and oyster shells around for them to ingest, as they need it for digestion. Really fun watching them chasing butterflies

 

That looks like a real good spot for a new coop

 

Mike, you need to stop watering that shed...it WILL NOT grow into a garage.

 

 

Hey Mike, Just saw your thread. I actually own a poultry hatchery and am happy to help any way I can. What breed chicks? Looks like wyandottes? If you want eggs through winter you will need a light on a timer giving them 18hrs of light. I use the spiral flourecents (daylight) 60w which only uses 13w of electric. Do you plan to let them out during the day to eat some of that nice grass and lots of bugs? Let me know if I can help...

 

Looks nice! I take it you didn't buy the one from TSC? Where did you get it? How many did you get?
You still might want to add a lamp (like a 100 watt bulb) for heat as our evenings haven been cool. Got to keep the peeps warm. Just stick it in the corner so they can move in and out of the light if they get too warm.

Here are some pictures of my coop. I took a picture of the door for any help. Chicken Coop pictures by TolynIronhand - Photobucket

 

I'm glad you're doing what you are...but I'm wondering how the back neighbors are going to like the early morning crowing? Some folks on a small ranch (prob 10 acres) about 2 blocks away (Yeah...I know that sounds weird...ranch and blocks in the same sentence) have chickens and I hear the rooster every morning. I'm already awake of course, but I wonder how their close neighbors that aren't already up feel. Sun is coming up about 5:15 AM now.

Just curious.

 

Most urban cities have a "no rooster" rule for people keeping chickens. Most hens will not crow, although there are cases that one will start if there is no rooster in the flock. I have not experienced this. Hens do make some noise but in most cases it is nothing big. I culled all my roosters when they started to get aggressive and hassling the hens. For those wondering, you do not need a rooster to get eggs.

 

Ahh....see I couldn't remember if you needed a rooster or not. Guess not since the giant egg factories wouldn't have them. Been 40+ years since I dealt with chickens. We had a rooster...but I think that was to keep the flock up? Didn't help with the egg sucking possums. That took Ruger .22.

 

Well they are Speckled Sussex. A cold hardy bird since I live in NJ. I was supposed to get buff orpingtons also but they where out of them. I opted for all sussex. They lay 4 eggs a week or so.

Yes I may do the light thing for more winter eggs tolyn, but I believe in letting the chickens do what they do naturally. Let them molt and give them a rest... LOL. I will off them after the 2 or 3 yrs for chicken soup. Just dont tell the wife.

Also no TSC for the coop. I had a guy 80 miles north of me build it. It was a bit pricy for me at $800 but compared to the overseas stuff this is the direction I went.

Should I have built it myself? I am far from a carpenter and would have screwed it up I am sure.

All hens. No roosters. Although there was a issue when I called the town, we have a right to farm under ordinance here in my town. I have more rights if I wanted to have roosters and no one can complain. Or really, their complaints cant be enforced. In my town in NJ you have a right to farm and do stuff without the normal permits and such.

I will post more pics as I progress. No egg laying until sept some time @ 16 weeks of age.

I chose nutreana nature wise feed for them. Thats whats local here without driving to TSC or Agway 30 miles for feed.


NatureWise Natural Poultry Feeds by Nutrena

So how am I doing for a yankee?????


Mike NJ

 

It will take a lot of eggs to pay for that coop
Chickens aren't all that picky so it might have been a good time to learn some carpentry skills - providing you had the time.

Hope you enjoy your chickens

 

I'm pretty sure that he is not out to make money on the chickens, I know I don't!

I would say your doing fine. If you can, let them out on the grass (if it is not treated in any way) they will love the grass and bugs!

 

Not in it to make money. Pets really to some extent with eggs as a benefit.

I dont treat my grass. Its all organic. Also I have a 1000sq ft garden and cant really fence it off, so they will not really be let out until the garden is gone. ( Since I believe they will eat it)

This is what they will look like.

Sussex (chicken) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





Mike NJ

 

All hens. No roosters. Although there was a issue when I called the town, we have a right to farm under ordinance here in my town. I have more rights if I wanted to have roosters and no one can complain. Or really, their complaints cant be enforced. In my town in NJ you have a right to farm and do stuff without the normal permits and such. Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/forum/pe...#ixzz1wm3otVHS

Mike - Smart move not having roosters. Looking at your pics you have several neighbors in close proximity. While you may have a right to farm you probably don't have the right to create a public nuisance - which is the issue your neighbors would raise if roosters were interfering with their right to enjoy their property. While it probably depends on what your town ordinances are, I'm pretty sure that in a congested area such as yours, noise (and roosters are noisy) would be an issue.

When I lived in South Carolina I lived in a neighborhood of homes on small lots. One home owner decided she wanted to have some peacocks which were within her rights according to the local zoning. However, she did not have the right to disturb the entire neighborhood. It took about 2 months to get her peacocks evicted. By then, had they not been evicted they would have been exterminated.

I grew up on a farm with chickens, ducks and geese. Enjoy your chickens, especially on the Sunday dinner table.

 

I don't know Wayne, I think my neighbors dog that barks all night is more annoying to me then if I heard a rooster crowing all the time. Heck I have kids and live in a small house and have learned to tune things out...LOL.

But before I got these chickens I read the ordinances to make sure I can defend myself from people that may disagree with my practices.

I posted the right to farm ordinance in my first posting.

It does say this.

can and may occur on holidays, Sundays, and weekdays, at night and in the day, and the usual noise, odors, dust and fumes that are caused by them are also specifically permitted as part of the exercise of this right.

It also says this.

It is expressly found that whatever inconvenience may be caused to others not of the farming community by such uses and activities so conducted is legal for the farmer,

 

There is a big time Realtor in the area I used to live in VA. Of course in a much fancier area on the river.

He did this same thing using right to farm rules...but his was for oysters. In VA, aquaculture falls under similar rules. The problem was he was trying to make a business out of it and had heavy trucks and sorting tables all right there at the rear of his property near the boat docks...you know, where most people try and have their summer parties and such.


Last I checked they said, sure you can farm oyster pots...but no processing on site or heavy equipment and the entire operation had to be fenced from view.

Seems like they used public nuisance laws or similar.

 

So I modified my chicken area slightly. I added a extension with leftover treated decking wood I had. I ripped the miter ends off and halved the piece for 2 1/2" x 1" planks.

I basically made squares and screwed them all together. Added welded wire...etc.

Sand is working great in the coop and run. Poop floats on top and drys quickly. Scoops out with cat liter scoop real easy. 10 minutes I am done.

Adding DE to the sand for when they dust bath in it. Keeps mites and such away. Will be making a cookie tin water heater down the road for the winter. Other wise the chick are getting big, and I am all situated pretty good.

The garden and my manicured lawn is why I am keeping then caged until my garden dies....LOL.
Although I heard they can do a number on the lawn also..:NO NO NO:

So this is what I have been working on this week.

Enjoy the pics.



Mike NJ

 

Wow~ Those chickens have a really wonderful habitat! My Chi's are envious!

Looks like you have a really nice set-up there, nice enough that I've taken notes in case my roomie and I decide to do some chickens ourselves. With the economy the way it is, every little bit helps!

 

Its really a hassle if you have an ordinance in your area banning the raising of crowing roosters. How can you breed your chickens without any roosters around? Although hens do lay eggs even without roosters, my point here is I want to raise chicken starting from eggs until they hatch to chicks and so on. Its always been my dream to have a small chicken coop with a few hens and probably a rooster to mate with them but with this "no crowing rooster" ordinance, it really makes it impossible for me to pursue my plans...

 

Ellend27,

I wonder if you can petition your city/county to allow you to have a rooster? Some areas you can do that sort of thing. Just a thought, all they can do is say no.

 

HI Mike,

I live in Howell also. What a beautiful chicken coop. Can you give me the name of the person who built it for you? I have been looking at coops. They all are very expensive and nothing this nice.

Jackie

 

Great chicken coop. . One thing you may want to consider is a more natural feed. We find that processed commercial feeds are expensive. And full of growth hormones antibiotics and chemicals. If you live in an area where you have access to farmers id consider speaking with a local pig or cattle farmer about purchasing some either whole grains or some ground barley chop. . Buying feed directly from the farmer is cheaper than commercial feeds and it is much healthier . Chop can be messy, its dusty and will make you itch when it gets on your skin its best to wear long sleeved shirts when handling it. Its usually A mixture of oats and barley ground up to the consistancy of steel cut oatmeal its a very dusty feed. The flour portion of the feed is important dont discard it. there can also be peas and wheat in the.mixture depending on what the farmer was feeding it too . To feed chop to your chickens will do well on this.. to feed chop to your chickens mix it with water so it has nearly the same consistancy as cooked porridge . The flour portion will turn to a paste that the chickens can eat..dont feed it to them dry as they will develop a chronic cough.. whole grains can also be fed to chickens oats, barley wheat.and corn are all good feeds birds will do better if they can get a combination of all the grains purchasing grain from local farmers is much cheaper than commercial feeds it.helps support the local economy and is much healthier for you and your birds. Youll also find your eggs have a better flavor as well... good luck with your birds

 

I buy feed without the hormones at my local feed store. A whole lot less messy and aggravating that dealing with farmers. Besides there are nutrients in the commercial feed that you cannot replicate by just feeding them stuff off a farm. Chronic cough? Long sleeves? Itching? Dusty? Not my idea of a leisure way of feeding my chickens. Thanks for the information, though, as I am sure some will benefit from it.