Abandoned Urban Chickens

[Dood]

Remember that discussion about urban chickens being dumped at shelters or 'set free' - - I think I know why......

Urban chicken farmers are also barred from slaughtering the birds themselves

in Vancouver; Hamilton; Kingston; and who knows how many other cities in North America :groooan:

 

[3mina]

Because THAT makes perfect sense :shock:

 

[LilacGal]

How would someone know you were slaughtering chickens? I mean if you have a fenced back yard who would know? Same with rabbits.

 

[bobqdevon]

I'm sure there's lots of places in the US that have that. One of the many reasons why I'm glad not to be part of the "urban" or even "suburban" crowds. I'm at least a half hour from anything, and I like it that way! :lol:

 

[AmysMacdog]

This was on the news here tonight as well. [[Sigh]] :roll:

 

[DogCatMom]

Oh, yeah; it's really weird. My town passed a new "animal-keeping ordinance" in 2012 allowing up to 4 hens, a hive of bees (imagine: Colony Collapse Disorder, and bee-keeping wasn't legal until then! :shock: ), and some other acknowledgements of current integrated gardening/animal keeping.

At the last minute, OH MY GOD IT'S AWFUL THEY MIGHT KILL CHICKENS!!! questions were raised. I mean, WTH did these folks *think* the chicken-keepers were going to do with non-egg-laying hens? support them for eight or nine more years in plush retirement? I mean, a couple of hens for pets and insect-eating might be useful, I suppose, but on my "property" I've killed/removed all the snails, so that's out of the question, even for chicken diets. (Really; during the rain the week before last, I scavenged a total of 7 snails.) So I'd have to buy protein for chickens IF I had them. Stoopid.

Folks raised all kinds of stink: "What would children think if they heard chickens being slaughtered next door?" "What if...?" Oh, Lord; it was nutty. I mean, don't they themselves eat chicken? Do they think that chickens--edible ones in packages, that is--come without a head, without feet, without feathers???

Oh, silly me. We're all supposed to be Vegetarians, if not Veeeegans. Bleah. I stayed away from City Council meetings while the Slaughter Silliness was going on. Fortunately, the City Council decided to officially permit our Animal-Keeping Ordinance to remain silent on the issue of chicken slaughter. Well, thank all the gods; what would have happened to someone whose, say, bees picked up pesticide from a neighbor's manicured (i.e., poisoned) lawn? Would the bee-keeper be guilty of mass slaughter of bees?

The mind boggles.

In response to a screed against urban chicken-keeping and subsequent "abandonment," at least one respondent in July 2013 had the good sense to state

Hens don't need to be "fostered" and "placed into loving homes". They can be eaten.

Honestly. Slaughter (humanely; I'm not in favor of animal torture, nor is anyone I know), process, cook, eat. Chicken is one of my favorite foods.

 

[LilacGal]

Which is what could be done with all those "extra" rabbits the House Bunny People swear breeders are creating.

 

[skysthelimit]

Oh, they would have a fit about that.

I do wonder how many city folk buy chickens for eggs, or fun, then realize the laying span is short, and don't want to dispatch or eat them afterwards. I raised them because I could, and they were beautiful, not as a food source. If it wasn't for the dogs, I wouldn't have any use for any of my animals I decided I didn't need anymore.



This is what I mean when I say there are just some things I can't do in the city. Now they've ironed out the butchering thing, I just can't sell it. And there are still so many places you can't have any. I kept a large flock for a year, but they were noisy, smelly and pooped everywhere. Occasionally one would fly into my neighbors yard. They just weren't easy to keep undercover. It's legal for me to keep rabbits, they don't specify how many, but spreading the manure all around my yard puts me in danger. If it's too smelly, someone can report me to the board of health, and that's what I am really afraid of.
City life bites, and people trying to have a little bit of country in the city find it's pretty hard to do so.

 

[Cottie]

Remember that discussion about urban chickens being dumped at shelters or 'set free' - - I think I know why......

Urban chicken farmers are also barred from slaughtering the birds themselves

in Vancouver; Hamilton; Kingston; and who knows how many other cities in North America :groooan:

They can foster them at my house then!

The chickens can run wild and free! :chase1:

Until the 30 day ownership requirement passes then the chicken may -/-( in my crockpot.

To the point, though, the rules on backyard slaughter are all driven by the PETA/ALF/etc types. This idea that people will "botch" a backyard slaughter and "contaminate" the meat is simply a front to get omnivorous and easily frightened folk on board with the bans. Properly cooked meat is safe whether the slaughter was botched or not.

 

[Random Rabbit]

Yesterday morning, on the news ... they had a segment where a Farm Animal Rescue..( in CA) was interviewed ... She went on about how the chicken coop HAD to be cleaned daily and other stuff.
The chicken Owner that was interviewed... said they liked to have the hens run free... but there were "land mines" all over their yard so they could not enjoy their yard. ...Ummm contain them to a specific area ? Some things just Cannot be had Both ways... Nice lawn vs Loose chickens...

 

[Peach]

In our county, now you have to pay like $125-$150? to be CONSIDERED for zoning for chickens. They can reject you. They also require how big your property how far back I think they legally have to be kept. They prefer that you get a side list of neighbors that would like the chickens to be around. They cannot be used for meat purposes. (I just process my rabbits in the early morning or late evening anyways LOL ) anddddd you pretty much won't hear back for a few months.

Too much regulation!<br /><br />__________ Tue Dec 03, 2013 9:08 am __________<br /><br />http://www.backyardchix.org/

 

[Dood]

To the point, though, the rules on backyard slaughter are all driven by the PETA/ALF/etc types. This idea that people will "botch" a backyard slaughter and "contaminate" the meat is simply a front to get omnivorous and easily frightened folk on board with the bans. Properly cooked meat is safe whether the slaughter was botched or not.

Totally agree. Killing things humanely and butchering safely is a lost art - just like knitting - but one that is easily learned.

I'm pretty sure gutting a deer out in the forest is not too hygienic but hunting hasn't been banned - well not yet anyway

What about the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, the people of the Dark Ages, Middle Ages and Renaissance how'd they survive if catching, killing and butchering your own food was sooooo dangerous? We'd have never made it as a species if it was :shrug:

 

[dayna]

I have about 30 chickens and a really nice lawn! See you can have it both ways.

 

[Dood]

:rotfl: Me too - but my 'lawn' is 7 acres

 

[Galadriel]

DAYNA!!!!!!! I love your yard!!

Our chickens clean up after our bunnies, so we only have to shovel out the old manure and bring in the new scratching material once or twice a year. Win-win situation!

 

[JDWest]

DAYNA!!!!!!! I love your yard!!

I agree! Sooooooo nice!!!!!!! *i gots da big dreamy eyes now!*

What's that thing, that our ancestors had...you know... That helped them get through life? Oh YEAH!... "common sence". :roll:

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Dood, you can CALL knitting easy, but... Based on my past experiences, not very much :lol:

I don't know why they'd allow bees... I mean... Seriously... A swarming hive of bees... That live behind your house... That sounds like a good plan....

And dayna, your yard is amazing! my pitiful yard is an acre

 

[mystang89]

That's why you never read the laws. Ignorance is bliss as they say. I'm only technically allowed 5 chickens by law but I'm just an ignorantly blissful city boy

 

[AmysMacdog]

Dayna, we're all over here freezing our off and then we see your lil piece of heaven....I have a feeling your gonna have a hole lotta company before long!
LOL You have a beautiful yard and your chickies!! How's your goats doing?

 

[Frecs]

That's why God moved this gal from the suburbs of DC (Manassas) to the rural southeast NC! According to the lady at the county, and I quote, "Honey, you can have anything smaller than a cow!" So, I ask if there is a limit to how many. Her response, "Oh, no girl, you can have as many as you want...just so they are smaller than a cow. You don't live in one of them communities do you?" I assure her, I most assuredly do NOT. "That's good, you are fine! Just so long as you don't have anything as big as a cow."

And, no, I did not ask her what size cow....