Why Backyard Chickens in Flower Mound?

Transcription

1 Why Backyard Chickens in Flower Mound? To The Animal Services Board February 21, /19/2012 1

2 Vision Statement The vision of Flower Mound is to preserve our unique country atmosphere, heritage, and quality of life while cultivating a dynamiceconomicenvironment. 2/19/2012 2

3 Flower Mound Heritage 2/19/2012 3

4 Flower Mound Heritage 2/19/2012 4

5 Backyard Chickens are Patriotic, Wholesome, and Sustainable The Victory Gardens of WWI and WWII were the result of duty felt by the free world to help their families and their nations by becoming more selfsufficient. During those challenging times, even the smallest parcels of land were devoted to providing as much food as possible. Today, we are once again seeing a desire for a lifestyle marked by a greater sense of self-sufficiency. Food security, resource conservation, buying local, and knowing where food comes from are all becoming important goals of our citizens. Backyard chickens have again become a big part of peoples lifestyles and value systems. 2/19/2012 5

6 Another Vintage Victory Garden Poster 2/19/2012 6

7 Backyard Chickens have Healthier & Better Tasting Eggs 2/19/2012 7

8 Backyard Eggs are Healthier 2/19/2012 8

9 Chickens Are Great Pets 2/19/2012 9

10 Gardeners Love Backyard Chickens Gardening has surpassed all other hobbies to be the number one hobby in America and there are clear trends in how Americans garden. The growth of backyard chickens is largely due to the popularity of gardening and a growing trend. There is a mutually beneficial relationship between chickens and gardens. Gardeners are motivated by beauty, fresh food and healthy lifestyles. Backyard chickens with their fresh eggs, insect control, and fertilizer are a natural for gardeners. They go together like peas in a pod. Chickens are great backyard entertainment as well, and a connection back to nature for children. Chickens and gardening are just a part of peoples "innate bond with living things and nature called biophilia". A growing army of urban-knights are creating oases wherever they can find a patch of earth. In our case, our backyards. 2/19/

11 The Demand for Backyard Chickens is a Fast Growing Trend that is not going away More urban and suburban dwellers are keeping chickens, a trend that stems from gardening, the recession and the local-food movement. People have less trust in factory farms and factory made food. Factory made food often contains growth hormones, chemicals, and steroids. Chickens are great pets that fertilize, east insects, put themselves to bed at dusk, and provide fresh eggs the next morning. They have real personality too, and are great with kids. Education and a connection back to nature for kids is a great motivator for many families. Derek Sasaki and Traci Torres of Norwalk, Conn., launched My Pet Chicken LLC in 2005 while juggling full-time jobs they've since quit. They now sell roughly 2,500 baby chicks a week through a partnership with a hatchery in Ohio. The company, whose catalog includes layers of chocolate, white, brown and green eggs, says it sells birds weeks in advance. "We are literally counting our chickens before they hatch," Mr. Sasaki says. There are no firm statistics on the number of petchicken owners in the U.S. BackYardChickens.com's growing membership is one indicator it's more than a flash in the pan.the information and networking site says it has more than 60,000 members today, up from 35,000 a year ago and 12,000 in June /19/

12 Backyard Chickens are Healthy Factory farms that raise chickens in areas the size of shoebox feel threatened by the growth in backyard chickens. Many of their chickens never see the light of day, grow up in filth, and are shot full of growth hormones and chemicals. Rumors and scare tactics have been put out by the Factory Farm industry to slow the threat of backyard chickens. The internet is full of this misinformation. The truth is that backyard chickens are healthy and not susceptible to wild bird diseases. They are not exposed to thousands of other chickens living in cramped and unhealthy conditions, like the Factory Farms. Also, most diseases with chickens are in food preparation, not with live birds and eggs. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: In the United States there is no need at present to remove a flock of chickens because of concerns regarding avian influenza. When it comes to bird flu, diverse small-scale poultry farming is the solution, not the problem GRAIN Report 2/19/

13 Backyard Chickens are not an Odor Problem Chickens themselves are clean birds and groom themselves regularly. There can be smells associated with chicken manure. Pastured and backyard chicken manure has very little smell. These chickens are eating grass, seeds, insects and protein pellets for the most part. The 'bad smell wrap' comes from "Factory Farms" where chickens are fed things like pork, animal fat and other food to accelerate growth and production. Large Factory Farms also often stockpile chicken manure in the elements for months, until it can be sold. A backyard chicken operation with a small flock is easy to maintain. A few minutes cleaning weekly eliminates smells. Most chicken owners cherish the droppings for composting in the garden. Droppings quickly dry and can be thrown away as well. One forty pound dog generates more waste than ten chickens. Chicken odors can be regulated just like dog other pet odors. Flower Mound already has an odor ordinance in place. 2/19/

14 Hens are Quiet Hens are generally fairly quiet. Roosters are loud, but not proposed for small backyard settings. Hens often greet their owners, purr, and announce when they lay an egg. The louder noises are for just a few minutes. Most of the time they are silent or lightly purring. At their absolute loudest, a hen emits sound decibels between a vacuum cleaner and normal human conversation. They are much quieter than a barking dog, and the noise they make can be regulated in the same way, with the current ordinance on noise. Hens are blind at night and naturally go to roost in their coop at dusk. They are completely quiet from dusk to dawn unless disturbed by a predator. 2/19/

15 Predators can be managed Chickens can be killed by dogs, coyotes, raccoons, hawks, owls and a number of other predators. These predators have always been in Flower Mound and always will be here. Small dogs and cats are easier prey than chickens. Chickens are safely tucked away in their coops at night when most predators are active. Most backyard chickens are kept in a fenced yard during the day and few are preyed on by other animals. More chickens in Flower Mound will not increase predators. Predators are not going to call their cousins in adjoining counties to come over and have a chicken dinner. A well constructed chicken coop stops predators at night. Best management practices, fencing, and technology deters predators night and day. Backyard chicken owners are typically well read on their pets and collaborate with other chicken owners about best practices with predator control. Coyotes do not normally prey on chickens or birds. They target rodents and small mammals (like cats) in suburban settings. Coyotes typically hunt at night, when chickens are secure in their coops. 2/19/

16 Foraging is natural and healthy Chickens by nature forage. They scratch and peck at vegetation and insects. Part of the advantage to having chickens is that they eat insects, fertilize the lawn, and clean up the flower beds/gardens. They even eat small mice and snakes. Caging a chicken is not natural or humane, any more than crating a dog 100% of the time is. Chickens need to range and eat natural foods. Chicken don t usually range far from the protection of their coop. Usually no more than 70 or so in an open range. Chickens offer natural pest control. The eat spiders, ticks, fleas, mosquito larvae and much more. Chickens help their owners eliminate the use of poisons and chemicals around there homes and gardens. Chickens don t need to stray to a neighbors yard and most could not from a fenced back yard. At Large ordinances are in place to stop dogs and other animals from doing this. These ordinances are sufficient for chicken owners as well. 2/19/

17 Property Values won t decrease 2008 CNN Best Places To Live That Also Allow Backyard Chickens Some people feel that backyard chickens may decrease the value of property. In almost all cases, people can t see, hear, or smell a small flock of backyard hens. New communities are considering and approving backyard chickens monthly. Neighbors seldom even notice chickens if a good ordinance is in place. Here are just a handful of higher end communities that allow backyard chickens. All these communities are in top 15 Best Places to Live for 2008, according to CNN. 2. Fort Collins CO 3. Naperville IL 4. Irvine CA 5. Franklin Township NJ 6. Norman OK 7. Round Rock TX 8. Columbia MD 12. Highlands Ranch, CO 14. McKinney TX 2/19/

18 Chicken Coops are Cool Backyard Chicken Coops come in all sizes and types. Here are a variety of permanent and portable coops. Chicken owners take great pride in their coops. Portable coops are also called Chicken Tractors. 2/19/

19 Some Texas Cities Allowing Backyard Hens Dallas, TX Euless, TX Austin, TX San Antonio, TX Fort Worth, TX Grapevine, TX Denton, TX Waco, TX Flower Mound, TX (1+ acres) McKinney, TX Round Rock, TX Rowlett, TX Southlake, TX Colleyville, TX Frisco, TX Garland, TX Irving, TX With Flower Mound s heritage, landscape, and sustainability initiatives, we should not be following other communities on backyard chickens. We should be leading. 2/19/

20 Other Cities Allowing Backyard Hens New York, NY Los Angeles, CA Topeka, KS Madison, WI Albuquerque, NM Spokane, WA Honolulu, HI Charlotte, NC Nashville, TN San Jose, CA Memphis, TN St Paul, MN Boise, ID San Francisco, CA San Diego,CA Seattle, WA Houston, TX Atlanta, GA Duluth, MN Mobile, AL Anaheim, CA Berkeley, CA Davis, CA 2/19/

21 More Cities Allowing Backyard Hens Irvine, CA Portland, OR Petaluma, CA Santa Rosa, CA Colorado Springs, CO Miami, FL Sanford, FL Alpharetta, GA Des Moines, IA Sioux City, IA Evansville, IN Chicago, IL Louisville, KY Baton Rouge, LA Cambridge, MA Northampton, MA Somerset, MA Westwood, MA Minneapolis, MN Raleigh, NC Corvallis, OR Rochester, NY 2/19/

22 Even More Cities Allowing Backyard Hens St Louis, MO Lincoln, NE Omaha, NE Santa Fe, NM Las Vegas, NV New Hempstead, NY Syracuse, NY Stillwater, OK Pittsburgh, PA Aikin, SC Nashville, TN Orem City, UT Burlington, VT Everett, WA Lynnwood, WA Olympia, WA Tacoma, WA Vancouver, WA Green Bay, WI Denver, CO Baltimore, MD Hartford, CT 2/19/

23 Setback Issues for Backyard Chickens Flower Mound has a variety of lot sizes, adjoining a variety of buffers. A property line setback makes no sense for backyard hens. Dogs, cats and other pets make louder noise and have more odors than backyard hens, yet they have no setback requirement. Many communities have established a setback from a neighboring residential home for backyard hens. 20 is workable and reasonable in Flower Mound. 2/19/

24 Small Lot, No Alley The long red line in these photos is an eyeball approximate of 100. The small red line approximates 20. Staff should do a more accurate exhibit. This is just an approximation. All these aerials are in Flower Mound. Clearly, a 50 setback from the property line does not work for small lots in Flower Mound. A 50 setback from an adjoining neighbors home does not either. 20 from an adjoining neighbors home does work and is workable to locate a chicken coop. 2/19/

25 Small Lot on An Alley When a home backs up to an alley, there should be no setback. Trash cans smell far worse than pet odors or chicken coops. 2/19/

26 Small Lot Against Woods Many homes in Flower Mound back up to flood plain, parks, schools, large acreage, etc. It makes no sense for a setback against these land uses. 2/19/

27 Small Lots Against Large Lots There are many smaller lots that adjoin larger lots in Flower Mound. A setback from the property makes no sense here. A setback from an adjoining residential dwelling is workable. 2/19/

28 Large Lots Many large lots in Flower Mound already have chickens, goats, horses and other animals. These animals are often kept in barns and enclosures located on or near property lines. Animals and pets have been kept this way for decades. Many chickens were kept in these structures far before the current ordinance was put on the books. Most of these property owners are unaware of a chicken ordinance, or that they are in violation. Many these owners allow their chickens to range on their property as well. With the present 50 setback from a property line and enclosure requirement (which is vague), there may not be a legal chicken in Flower Mound. Again, a 20 setback from an adjoining residential home is workable. There is no reason to not allow chickens to forage on an owners property either. Most chickens will not go far from their coop. The At Large ordinance is in place for to keep chickens, dogs, and other animals from roaming on other properties. 2/19/

29 DePaul University Study In February, 2010 students from Professor Hugh Bartling's class on Green Urban Policy interviewed staff members from over 20 municipalities throughout the country which have recently adopted ordinances allowing citizens to keep poultry in residential districts. Findings: In general we found that most cities were satisfied with their ordinances, major complaints and infractions were rare, and the adoption of chicken ordinances have been looked upon positively. 2/19/

30 DePaul Study Cities Surveyed Ann Arbor, MI Baraboo WI Belmont, MA Boise, ID Bozeman, MT Buffalo, NY Duluth MN Durham, NC Eugene, OR Fort Collins, CO Gulfport, FL Huntington, NY Lawrence, KS Madison, WI Missoula, MT Moab, UT New Haven, CT Portland, OR South Portland, ME St. Paul, MN State College Borough, PA 2/19/

31 DePaul Study -Violations 2/19/

32 DePaul Study City Satisfaction 2/19/

33 Proposed Chicken Ordinance Drafted by Chicks 4 Flower Mound Chapter 6 Animals, Article 8 Fowl, Rabbits and Guinea Pigs Sections Enclosure Requirements a)fowl, rabbits and guinea pigs must be kept indoors, or if outdoors, in a secure pen or enclosure. Litter and droppings from these animals must be collected and disposed of in accordance with section 6-42; provided, however that the provisions of this section shall not apply to ducks or other waterfowl inhabiting natural or man made watercourses or bodies of water. b) Poultry or chicken coops shall not be located closer than 20 feet of any neighboring residential dwelling. c)poultry may be kept on single-family residential lots in a fenced backyard at the ratio of three (3) hens on lots under 6000 square feet with an additional hen per additional 2,000 square feet of total lot area. d) The following restrictions apply to the keeping of chickens on all residential properties: 1) The principal use of the property is a single-family residential dwelling. 2)Chickens must be kept in a manner that will not disturb the use and enjoyment of neighboring lots due to noise, odor, or other adverse impacts. 3)On lots less than one acre, no person may keep a rooster. Noise restrictions for chickens shall be in accordance with section b.1. 4)Chickens must be kept securely in a chicken coop overnight. The coop must be enclosed, well-constructed, weather resistant, well-ventilated, predator resistant, well maintained and provide a minimum of 2 square feet of area per chicken kept. 5)In addition to a chicken coop, an adjoining outdoor area sufficient to contain chickens on the owner s property shall be provided allowing a minimum of 4 square feet of area per chicken kept. Chickens must be kept in a manner that they are not allowed to roam to neighboring properties, or to public right-of-ways, and in accordance with ordinance )Chickens must be cared for in a humane manner with adequate feed, water, shade, and shelter at all times. Feed and water shall be kept in a manner so it is not available to wild birds, rodents or potential predators. 7)Litter and droppings must be disposed of, composted, or used as fertilizer in an environmentally responsible manner. It must not produce odors or unclean conditions and be in compliance with ordinance section ) Portable coops (chicken tractors) are allowed, but must meet the requirements of permanent coops outlined above. 2/19/

34 References and Research How much manure do your animals produce? University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension publications A3411 and A Caring for your Lawn and the Environment. NC Cooperative Extension Services, June Meet Real Free-Range Eggs. Mother Earth News, October Estimating Manure Production, Storage Size, and Land Application Area. OSU Extension, Do Your Doody Pick up Pet Waste. Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, 22 December Excuse%20Me.pdf Fowl play: The poultry industry's central role in the bird flu crisis. GRAIN, February Chicken Ordinance Survey, Hugh Bartling - DePaul University - hbartlin@depaul.edu The Small Laying Flock, Fred D. Thornberry, Professor of Extension and Poultry Services, Texas A&M University 2/19/

35 More References & Research Residential Urban Chicken Keeping An Examination of 25 Cities, KT LaBadie, CRP 580 Spring 2008, University of New Mexico, May 7th 2008 Fowl Fans See Golden Eggs in Catering to Pet-Chicken Market, Sarah E. Needleman, Wall Street Journal Cockfighting, Chickens are Foragers, Not Fighters, Karen Davis, PHD, United Poultry Concerns, Urban Wildlife Management, Second Edition, by Clark E. Adams and Kieran J. Lindsey Texas Department of State Health Services communication with Captain Bill Porter, Director of Animal Control, Fort Collins CO 80 Percent of Chicken Growers Never Sanitize Poop-Filled Crates, Mother Jones, Statement on Chicken Ordinances, Mother Earth News, Ordinances.aspx Sharing our Cities with Coyotes, DFW Wildlife Coalition, 2/19/

36 Even More Research and Resources The European Union bans battery cages for hens, Grist, 5 Myths About Backyard Chickens, Renee Caldwell, Examiner, Urban Chickens 101: Why have Chickens in the City, Renee Caldwell, Examiner, US City Dwellers Flock to Raising Chickens, Worldwatch Institute, Rabies in Texas, Texas Department of State Health, Questions and Answers About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2/19/

37 Last of Research & Resources Coyotes in Urban Areas: A Status Report, JAN E. LOVEN, District Supervisor, Texas Animal Damage Control Service, Ft. Worth, TX The Cooke County, Illinois Coyote Project, Stanley D. Gehrt, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 17 th Edition, Pgs /19/

38 Thank You! For Additional Information or Questions contact: Mark Glover Regina Fierke (972) /19/