Cons of backyard chicken proposal

To the Editor,OK, we’ve heard the pros of having backyard chickens. Now here are some cons I found:1. Construction or purchase of coop, run and fencing which takes time and money. 2. Smelly droppings. Chic-kens poop often and indiscriminately! It smells bad and can be tracked into your house. Dogs that are muck-magnets can regularly track vile substances through your house, imagine if you have carpet! Schedule to clean the coop often, unless you like the smell of barn in your backyard. If you let them out to roam around the yard be prepared to find their poop everywhere; in the lawn, on the porch, etc.3. Noise. Hens can be noisy and at all times during the day. Every time they lay an egg, chickens sing a song and couple of them are so proud about their achievement that they use their very loudest, outdoor voices. Frisky ones can goose the other and that sends up squawks. And some can do quite effective rooster impersonations. Hens do cackle, put them on the same noise audible level as song birds in the morning.4. Rodents are often attracted to chicken coops and chicken feed. Rake litter around to discourage rodents from moving in. If they gain access their numbers multiply rapidly.5. Maintenance: wash, refill water fountains, collect eggs, shake down feeders, scoop up the worst of the poop. Entire coop should be cleaned out and litter replaced at a very minimum of once a year. Chickens create a lot of dust by scratching around in the litter, coating walls and other surfaces in the coop and this fine dust is not good for your lungs or theirs. Use a shop vac every few weeks.6. Vacation: At the very least you will need someone to collect eggs daily, because chickens sometimes develop the annoying habit of eating those delicious eggs if you leave them in the coop.7. Conflict with wildlife predators who covet your chic-kens and their eggs. Learn about the predators in your area and remember a dog’s instinct is to kill chickens.8. Chickens are complicated social creatures, and even in the best of situations you might need to manage an occasional behavior issue such as feather picking or bullying.9. Chickens are vulnerable to diseases involving all body systems; such problems being parasites to respiratory diseases to foot abscesses to neurological disorders and much more. Vet care can be hard to find and expensive.10. Chicks don’t reach egg-laying maturity until about six months of age, which means you need to feed, water and house the little poop machines until they start contributing to the household.11. Since the girls only reliably lay for two to three years then they become garden ornaments for the next 10 years. Imagine getting rid of them someway?12. If you favor chickens in your neighbors backyard, and you ever want to eventually sell your home — yeah, that’s a great selling point?Remember if there is a problem, chickens, like all pets, are not the problem; bad pet owners are the problem. If the chickens are loud, noisy or obnoxious, the owners the problem.Do your research… read up on chicken ownership, and make the right decisions for you and your family.As for asking the council to hurry and pass keeping Back-yard Chickens, does this mean road, taxes, police, fire, water etc., issues should be put on hold for you? Yes you received over 900 signatures on your petition but what is that compared to a total of 8,000-plus residents in Tecumseh. We are entitled to our say, whatever it is, and going to the polls to do it is our right. You cannot speak for all of us.I’ve also researched several cities that have passed this and looked at their ordinances, so council beware. Here are some of the following passed by council members in various cities I checked:1. Selecting zones allowed to receive permits.2. Setting up fine codes for violaters: ex: $1,000 fine a day for first offense, $5,000 a day for repeat offenses.3. Number of hens allowed, a fenced area needed, covered enclosures, how feed is stored, no odors, etc.4. Some cities limit chickens to lots larger than 10,000 feet in zoned low diversified residential lots with none allowed around the town itself.5. Ann Arbor fees: $20 for a one year permit for two hens, $55 for a five year permit for up to six hens. Higher fees are due to increased staff or resources required for neighbors to be notified by email when a five year permit is issued in case of neighbors objecting and they have 21 days to object.6. Chelsea: Fence or covered enclosures shall not to be located closer than 10 feet of a property line, of an adjacent property and nor shall it be located closer than 40 feet to any residential structure of an adjacent property.So check out information before hand. The issues aren’t easy for those wanting chickens nor the council needing to set ordinances for you to have them.What’s next? Ducks, lambs, sheep, goats?If it does go to a vote, please execute your right to get out and let your voice be heard.The alternatives to those wanting chickens and not being able to have them here are moving to a farm or moving to a city that allows backyard chickens. Barb LucasTecumseh

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