Flyers around town are directing people to: www.bellecitychickens.org, which lays out the case for allowing city residents to raise up to four chickens. The site states:
Belle City Chickens is a group of like-minded, pro-poultry people (also known as the "poultry underground"). Our aim is to educate the urban population on the benefits of raising ones own food, and to bring to light the misconceptions people might have about the raising of poultry in an urban setting.Benefits for backyard chickens include:
* Source of fresh eggs
* Fertilizer for the garden
* Inexpensive, easy pets
* Promotes self-sufficient communities
Alderman Greg Helding and local resident Amanda DeSonia, who sits on the city's Parks and Rec Board, are behind the push to legalize chickens in Racine. No word on when an ordinance will come out, but the idea has been in the works for months.
Any proposal is likely to limit residents to four hens, female chickens, per yard. Roosters, male chickens, would be illegal. Hens would have to be kept in coops and would not be allowed to run free.
For more info, check out www.bellecitychickens.org
This is so cool!
ReplyDeleteBring on the Rats, Mice, Skunks, Raccoons, and maybe a Fox or two!
ReplyDeleteChickens? We eat chickens! Chickens...
ReplyDelete3:43
ReplyDeleteWe have those in Racine now. Chickens will not add to that.
Sorry to snipe, but my gosh, how does THIS fit with Helding and company's vision for corridor development? Will there be a Racine "Backyard Chicken Keeper Review Board"? Will this cost the city a few million in new salaries?
ReplyDeleteHelding needs to come out of the political closet and declare himself a blue dog democrat.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I've lived next door to chickens... FLIES! FLIES! FLIES! The chickens weren't a problem... the but flies are intolerable! You can't get into your home with out 20 or 30 following you in...
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ReplyDeleteWe had chickens for years on the farm never had that issue. Nor do I see in t=in Madison visting folks who have them there
Follow us on Facebook for updates, and keep your eye out for a showing of the documentary 'Mad City Chickens' that we'll be showing later this Spring.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Racine-WI/Belle-City-Chickens/114320491334?ref=nf
Lets block all future development but allow chickens. Greg WTF?
ReplyDeleteDon't you have to have a rooster in oder for the chickens to produce eggs? I think roosters are rather noisy. Also I saw on Dirty Jobs, Mike Roe was chasing loose chickens with the Animal Welfare people in a southern town, where chickens were legal. Sounds like were going to have to start a new government unit of chiken chasers, for the ones that get out of thier cages.
ReplyDelete"Don't you have to have a rooster in oder for the chickens to produce eggs?"
ReplyDeleteOnly if you have never taken a biology class. You need roosters to fertilize eggs and make more chickens. You need hens to lay eggs that you can use to make breakfast.
We wish you great success with your efforts. If approved, an ordinance like this would actually make me consider moving back into Racine. Provide better school facilities and I will absolutely move back.
ReplyDeleteI have been noticing how the City of Racine has been becoming very progressive when it comes to being "Green". Your residents should be proud as I am confident it will reduce your tax burden in the long term. You have al ot to offer Racine... Keep it up!
10:27
ReplyDeleteGreen in talk then our Mayor wants to sell Water from Lake Michigan
I would love to have chickens. I would rather see my children with an egg that they helped to get, than a hot pocket or happy meal.
ReplyDeleteI thought all the Racine Chickens were on City Council.
ReplyDeleteChickens also eat ticks, flies, fleas and cockroaches. As far as a rooster goes, there are roosters that don't crow. We have a farmers market right down the street in the summer. I could buy some wholesome veggies and go home and kill a fresh chicken. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteOh and I could use the chicken livers for cat fish bait. This just has so many potentials. I'm all for it.
Will fees cover all costs ?? Will I be able to object if a neighbor wants to do this ?? Who will pay sales tax on eggs or birds or "by products " sold ? Who will be watching ? If you want to farm ,go live on a farm ! this is a city, not a farm !!
ReplyDeleteWill fees cover all costs ?? Will I be able to object if a neighbor wants to do this ?? Who will pay sales tax on eggs or birds or "by products " sold ? Who will be watching ? If you want to farm ,go live on a farm ! this is a city, not a farm !!
ReplyDelete"I thought all the Racine Chickens were on City Council."
ReplyDeleteHmmm...not sure an anonymous poster should be referring to anyone else as a chicken.
"Will I be able to object if a neighbor wants to do this ??"
ReplyDeleteWhy? Do you get to object if your neighbor wants to keep 3 large dogs that bark and poop a lot?
"Who will pay sales tax on eggs or birds or "by products " sold ?"
Obviously, the responsibility to pay sales tax falls on anyone who wishes to sell something, regardless of the product. This objection doesn't make sense - a small number of hens will not produce a quantity of eggs worth selling. If you managed to get two dozen eggs a week, you would make a whole $7 - if you charged the going rate for cage free eggs. It is hardly worth the cost of the chickens, food, cages, etc to make $28/month (if you are lucky) selling eggs.
We grew up in the city, hatched our own chicks for years, and without a rooster, no-one was aware they were even there. It instilled a healthy respect in our family for all living things, and with nine children the byproducts were useful food and useful manure for our garden. Bugs are a non-issue, as the chickens will catch them out of mid-air as a treat....I usually post with my name, but in this case I don't want the city prosecuting me for something I did years ago...
ReplyDeleteAmanda,
ReplyDeleteI am neither for or against your venture. I do although have a question. Are you telling people that they will have fresh eggs daily with four chickens? The reason I ask is we raise chickens and four will hardly give you enough eggs in week, to make a cake.
Chickens will certainly add an eliment of class to this fair city
ReplyDeleteBackyard Chickens are fun. If you want to raise chicken, you actually don't necessarily need a rooster if you are annoyed with the noise.This is a great post. :)
ReplyDeleteMichael, are your chickens molting? Are you feeding them layer food? My 4 hens average 3 eggs a day, unless they are in "molt". More than enough for a cake.
ReplyDeleteHaving 4 chickens hardly makes my home a farm. This is supposed to be a free country. If there is anywhere in the world I should be able to have a small coop it should be America. Stop trying to regulate our freedoms away. 4 chickens is a compromise. There is still a process to complain effectively about someone who is not keeping up their coop and posing a health risk.
ReplyDeleteI want chickens. Too many flies, eat em. Too loud? Eat em. Anonymous neighbor? Buy a rooster.
ReplyDeleteChicken S--T stinks !!!
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