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Support for Chickens
Dear Editor: We heard that some People are petitioning City Council to allow them to have Chickens in this City.
We would like to announce our full, unmitigated, 125 percent support for this fantastic idea.
Moreover, we encourage the keeping of “free range chickens.” Why keep them locked up in pens, when they can roam freely in the back yard, one with nature?
The time has come!
Yours truly,
The Coyotes
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on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 10:57 am and is filed under North Coast News.
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Best Chickens for Ocean Shores: http://www.gardeners.com/Funky-Chickens%3a-Gardener%27s-Supply/DecorativeAccents_Statues,37-370RS,default,cp.html?SC=ALTRT666
honestly, id rather have a chicken coop properly placed in my neighbors back yard than a yard full of yappy dogs! there is nothing more annoying than a dog owner whos dogs just wont stop and they do nothing about it! lol
The code enforcement officer has been great when we have needed her. She took care of business swiftly and with positive results. I just as soon not have chickens next door, however, this conversation has been informative and has given me lots of new perspectives on many things. That’s one of the great things about this local site: I always learn new things. I think it is great to be able to take in new information and then process it. I always get an education. Great discussion and terrific humor, as well. Thanks all!
while there is alot of lots to small for chickens in shores, there are some that are large enough. the question at hand is if we allow chickens within shores can the rules be enforced so coops dont end up to close to the neighbors bedroom window or pests kept to a minimal. if we dont have the resourses to police other problem areas, will we have the resources to police the violaters of the chicken rules?
because if we dont, then the chickens shouldnt be allowed, only way to protect everyone involved.
i can understand people wanting fresh eggs and having self reliance but lets be realistic.
I hope this doesn’t come out wrong, but I am so tired of petty arguing. Like so many others before me, I’m going to bow out of the comments section of the NCN and focus my energy in a more productive realm.
And fixed-income, if your neighbor puts a coop 8 ft from your bedroom window they lack common decency. I would never do that to my neighbors. I’m sorry you live by people like that.
i’m still trying to figure out why the same code enforcement officer was rehired. she was lacking in performance and or backing the first time around. why do you think so many old broken down vehicles are still here? we needed a big beefy cop type to take on that task.
You might want to drive around the city and see the number of abandoned cars sitting in front and back yards around here. There is someone now that is supposed to be dealing with that issue. She is our Code Enforcement/Animal Control Officer. I have seen few if any of these cars removed.
My point is that she has more than she can handle now and this idea only increases the tasks at hand.
Maybe a community chicken coop area next to the community garden area would make more sense. It would be on commercial property away from homes and accomplish the same goals listed by Ricki.
Society sometimes restricts things that are safe if used properly by many and abused by others. One example is cold medicines. Because drug manufactures use an ingredient in what was a common cold remedy they made it either unavailable or require you to show ID to get it at the drug store. Many other things are restricted because of abuse. Chickens in urban areas are still restricted by zoning and regulations. The places that do allow them with these restrictions have the resources to police and manage the activity.
However, Ocean Shores can’t regulate what it currently has on it’s plate now. Once again we will see it bounced between one entity to the other with no resolution. Right now enforcement of code violations are limited by the ability to pay for the prosecution. We will be told that there are other priorities and this rule too will go by the wayside.
My feeling is that if you want farm animals, move to a farm. Or, at least, get a big enough piece of property that your neighbors won’t be affected. Most lots here in OS are too small to even think of having poultry.
I know that if my neighbor, whose property line is within 8 feet of my bedroom window, decides to put their coop right there (in order to keep it away from their bedroom window), I will not be a happy camper.
I find it sad that some people know so very little about urban homesteading. I guess you can paint a worst case scenario with just about anything, but that doesn’t make it warranted.
Anyone who would abuse the privilege of owning chickens, likely abuses the privileges of many other things that are far more dangerous. Those people are in our society and have to be dealt with accordingly, yes. But saying we shouldn’t have chickens because someone else might not follow the rules is like saying we shouldn’t be allowed to have cars because obviously they will break down and you know how some people just can’t be trusted, they’ll park that car in their driveway and just get another one and before you know it they have a junk yard and SOMEONE is going to have to enforce a law because that’s not safe and it’s bringing down the property value….you see my point, I’m sure.
Having chickens is about sustainability and self sufficiency, both important avenues in these uncertain times. I am happy to explain the whole full/closed circle thing if you want me to. Chickens eating garden scraps, using the manure and straw to fertilize the garden which produces more food, etc.
We’ve gotten so far removed from our basics that people forget. It takes so little for our food supply to be interrupted out here.
If you had the space to accommodate a cow, I would give you my full support and be first in line to purchase some of that raw organic milk, you bet!
The thing that makes a truly wonderful community is diversity. When you visit the most vibrant cities, they are not composed of one type of person, one type of dwelling, or even one type of business. What makes them vibrant is the sense of community, the people working together and enjoying the differences. The learning and opportunity that comes from that is priceless.
In this case, I guess I would be the elder being abused. You make very good points, CAC. Well spoken.
As indicated before, people will not stay at 5 chickens. They can’t keep to three animals now. Will they clean up after them? I see people complain about dogs and cats leaving messes on lawns and in children’s sandboxes. If they do not clean up, you get more of the rats, flys, and other pests. They will attract other wild animals and that will cause more calls to the police regarding them too. Then we will have to kill them too. That is the abuse your mother and father would have to put up with. Having to hide in their house to stay away from the smell and pests. Obviously you have been in the city too long. There are other forms abuse beyond elder abuse in the form of physical or mental harm.
I want fresh organic milk, should I be allowed a cow? What about domestic geese? They give eggs too. Let’s not forget that pig. You know, the one that is so cute at the county fair. Heck, they would eat most of the garbage we produce. If there is anything left, give it to that goat.
I don’t know, Cutie. I am with Ricki, at this point. I can think of a lot more things I would not have wanted for my folks. (Especially my mother…Alzheimers got her.) I really think this conversation has gone WAY beyond the threat of a chicken or five in someone’s backyard. This has been a great ‘blog’…Life is short. “Here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a chick chick.” No, I can’t, at this point, equate abusive neighbors with chickens. Gosh, if it was actually ABUSE…Can you abuse your neighbor with a chicken? I’ve had many neighbors with chickens in my history, but I really can’t say I’ve been ABUSED by a chicken or a neighbor. (Well, that guy with the two pit bulls was a jerk.) Hmmmm…this will take some thought. I lost my mom in 2007, from Alzheimer disease. Tell you what, it would have been much better for her if she could have confronted a neighbor, or made friends with a neighbor over a few chickens. Then at least, I could call her up, she would know who I was and we could bitch or celebrate together about chickens and neighbors. Gee, it would have been much better for me, too.
i think they are refering to the concern if chickens are allowed the owners might abuse the privlidge and make life miserable for their neighbors and no one would want that for their mother or father….but i could be wrong.
I didn’t get that one either.
CAC ~ I am confused about “would you want that to be your mother or father” comment. Perhaps I missed something, but I don’t quite understand the “those that abuse their neighbor” comment.
thats why i take my dogs closer to ocean city, less for them to get into. plus it makes a nicer play area for my kids. yea they are teenagers but i still have the same concerns as parents of younger kids.
yes we do ‘get around’ on the beach and in shores. most of the local dogs know me as the ‘cookie lady’ as i always have milk bones for every dog i see! i love animals, dogs, wildlife and the like. i just have to go and give puppies a cookie when i see them aound town.
The hard part about taking your dogs down to the beach is worrying about what they will pick up from all the peoples’ trash. Who knows what they throw out there. Dogs love to fine all different things. Yes, the horse poo is an issue there too. Dogs seem to love it.
What really hurts is looking at pictures of the large driftwood stump near Chance A La Mar and seeing it now. It was so magnificant with eagles sitting on top of it. Now it is a burnt out shell of it’s former glory.
Cutie, we see you often.
Babblynn, some hope for better from people and that is not being negative. It is more disappointment in them and how they always try to game the process, system or others without any moral compass. They expect others to pick up after them. They expect others to do the heavy lifting.
The best time of year here is after Labor Day and before April 15th. The beach recovers from many of it’s scares and abuse. It become beautiful and natural again.
As to the chicken issue, I worry about those that abuse their neighbor and there is no one to help them solve the issue. Would you want that to be your mother or father?
I’ll keep an eye out for that little blue chevy wagon, Cutie! After Labor Day, we often take the beach from Shores to Copalis. We love treasure hunting, also. As for you, Crabber,
you ol’ flirt…yes, I still think you’re a hoot! However, I will have to put that email address on the back-burner for now.
We will simply have to meet via the North Coast News. Have a great day, everyone!
actually, i live in copalis beach. my two boys and i take the beach from ocean city to shores every chance we get, further after labor day. along the way we comb it for whatever! we to have our share of k9 kids we take with us, normally 2 at a time since we have 4 and keeping up with them is alot of work! not to say ours do their thing in the house! lol
its just alot easier to take them two at a time to play so they take turns.
your right, i do LOVE it here! everytime i go to the beach its as if i feel my spirit there. i do feel very blessed to be able to live where i want and i chose coastal living for that very reason. i guess thats why it breaks my heart to see it like it gets.
come labor day you will more than likely find my boys and i headed your way as we love to rock hunt down that way. not to mention, we are HOOKED on finding treasures the storms bring in the tides!
to everyone and to you, if you see a little blue chevy wagon with stickers all over the back cruisin down the beach or in town, wave since it just might be me! and if you see it flip around and the doors open but no one gets out….ive spotted something and im checkin it out! lol
btw, i am at navychief872000@yahoo.com. lets make it all happen. babb.
Cutie ~ Just enjoy and participate. Life is MUCH TO SHORT to dwell on the negative. Our beaches are fine. We (those who live here…or near here) should feel so darn fortunate to actually be here. I am not a religious person, by ANY stretch of the imagination, but we feel SO DARN LUCKY to be here and participate in the goods and the bads. I realize what you are referring to. I live here, I see it. But, it is so minimal compared to the joy and the peace and the satisfaction we have to be LIVING here. I know you, Cutie, are LIVING here or near. Your dedication to the beach is very obvious. My husband and I respect your feelings. Still, chill, enjoy and make the best of a wonderful situation. Do you ever hang at the Taurus access?
That’s where we take Belle and Susie to run (and poop). Belle is a b/w border collie who chases the ball, chases the ball and chases the ball. Susie is a 3 mo old pug/lhaso apso who is learning beach protocol. I can’t fix the behavior of inconsiderate people, but I can certainly enjoy the behavior of the many great folks who enjoy our beach. Don’t let your heart cry…let is be happy that you live AT THE BEACH.
dont get me wrong, i see the fun people have on the beach to and enjoy it. what im refering to is the condition of the beach after a holiday weekend. the garbage, full puppy poo bags, even kids sand castle stuff. plus the shoes, clothes, blankets, bbq’s and various other items some deem not worth taking home.
where it might not seem like a HUGE problem, it is a problem but maybe im seeing more than there is. its just i drive it everyday, i see whats left after a busy weekend and it tears at my heart! yes, i do pick up things and try to make it look better but it seems like an endless battle.
Hmmmm…speaking of ‘whine’, I think I will go have a glass: of wine, that is. (Crabber…I think I am falling in love with you!)
Just call me an ‘EggHead’, but I just don’t see that our beach has HUGE problems. Any public place has its share of inconsiderate, stupid people. But, by gee and by golly, the VAST MAJORITY of folks who live here and visit here are considerate, respectful and responsible. It is always so cool to see folks enjoying the beach. I see the good things people do down on our beach EVERY DAY. And, I certainly see much more good stuff than bad stuff. We all see the occasional idiot. If it wasn’t for those idiots, life would be much to perfect and we wouldn’t have so many great things to ‘whine’ about.
correction, i shouldnt walk! lol
but i do it anyways!
crabber you might have something there! dont forget about the lazy dog owners who turn their dogs loose and make them chase their owners in their cars! im disabled and have been advised by a surgeon i should walk but if im down there with my dogs, you wont find me being lazy and make my dogs chase me in my car! im out there, against medical advice, walking and playing with my k9 kids, the way it should be!
my original post was meant to support the idea of allowing chickens within the city limits. more over, the posts that complained and seemingly whinned about the problems they MIGHT cause seemed to over shadow a bigger problem to whine about and that is the problems on the beach!
legalizing chickens is the least of this comunities problems. i say, “LET THE CHICKEN BE IN SHORES” and lets do something about the beach! im sure we could figure something constructive out to make improvements to the beach without costing anyone alot of money!
thats all im sayin!
vigilantism can be a good solution. big ole 4×4’s with good ole boys with paint ball guns for armament. to get the paint removal solution one MUST turn at least one large bag of “beach trash”. if you are doing doughnuts and end up with your vehicle covered in paint you will be ticketed and escorted to the city limits. if you are caught not picking up after your hound, the animal will be shorn and used for moving target practice for the good ole boys.
I suggest an egg tax. Maybe a B&O tax on home egg production businesses. I think we will have to have them play Cool Hand Luke at the theater. Can you eat 50 eggs in an hour???
So, you want to protect the beach from damage. Any ideas? Solutions? How do you get people to stop throwing their trash on the beach? How do you get them to stop burning the driftwood when the sign says “No Fires in Dunes or Driftwood”? How do you get them from breaking the glass bottles in the abandoned fires? How do you get them to pick up their diapers? How do you get people to pick up the plastic dog poop bag they have used but abandoned on the beach and around town? What is the point of putting it in a bag if you leave it behind? How do you raise money for cleaning equipment? Which group will take the lead? Who will pay for it? Should the Motel Hotel Tax pay for it? Should we petition to get it increased to cover this cost? Should we see if we can increase the tax on beverage drinks to pay for this mess?
Oh yeah…I think my favorite part was when the Coyotes used the word ‘obtuse’. THAT WAS AWESOME!
Nothing serious, crabber. It’s not like “GIVE US EGGS OR GIVE US DEATH”. Lorraine is right. This has been a good one! Lots of fun.
Okay Okay, I can’t resist any more…..thank you one and all for finally providing me with the (several) morning laughter I used to get from comments on NCN! I’m so happy to see that the sense of humor in Ocean Shores is alive and well!
geeze, i sense massive amounts of heart attacks and strokes on this one.
This is all just TOO much. I think I will go down to the beach, step in some horse poop, cut my foot on broken glass, trip over brodie disturbed sand, kick a baby seal and leave some dog poop behind. After that, I am going to go on an egg hunt and feed the coyotes. Then, and ONLY then, will I go down and enjoy my beach as I do EVERY DAY in the place I love to live. (While I am down there, I will continue to pick up a few pieces of trash and continue to contribute and be respectful.)
Dear Editor: We must protest these obtuse comments, which are obviously a smoke screen aimed at deflecting attention from the REAL issue at hand, which is:
Every Ocean Shores resident should be free to exercise his or her inalienable right to own and operate free-range Chickens, unencumbered by pens, fences or other barriers.
And, City Council members, if you’re afraid to make changes of the City Codes, does that make you Chickens?
And thereby illegal Residents of the town you proport to govern?
We’re just saying,
The 289 Coyote Posse
i guess im a little confused that so many people would be so opposed to chickens in someones yard than the damage to this communities most beautiful place, the beach.
ok so maybe some have become numb to how lucky they are to live in such a beautiful area but im not. going to the beach never gets old, not to me.
id much rather put my efforts into making it more beautiful than worry about a few chickens that might make a families life a little easier with fresh eggs and an occasional chicken supper.
seriously, think about it! if ocean shores depends on the tourism dollars, why is the one thing people come here to enjoy being ignored? where are our priorities here?
What makes you think the chickens will eat it if the “flying Rats” will not. In fact, how much poop do they put on the beach from all the MacDonalds they eat? At least the horses are organic. The people leave a great deal more. Police it? Who? When? How? What we should be doing is looking into grants to get cleaning equipment and have it paid for by the whole county, if not state. The beaches are a state resource. The county pays us to patrol and service it. They got their money from the state. Everyone takes their share of the money and passes it down to the lowest cost provider, Ocean Shores. We provide the services we do, of course taking our share. So, you see the result in what is provided.
i was just thinking, i know, i know, dangerous at best. if os bought 100 or so chickens and turned them loose at the beach the horse dung problem might just be taken care of AND the city could go into the egg business.
yea i know but lets face it, its out of control and no one seems to care. instead people would rather complain about something less important.
hey cutie, who you trying to kid. as we all know………noone is responsible for the beach nor at the beach. who ya gonna call? beach busters? ain’t gunna happen.
i tend to take my family to a less populated part of the beach anyway but it bugs the heck out of me everytime i see the condition of the beach between the casino and shilo access and yes, i see it nearly everyday!
my kids and i have come to love it here and have a respect for the beach like no other. we try our best to show it and the wildlife all the respect in the world, pack it out when we pack it in, never get out of our car when wildlife like seals are present. we dig clams each weekend there is a dig and plan special trips to the beach to comb it after a storm for interesting things that might have washed ashore but what i just dont understand is how things seem to be over looked for the sake of tourism dollars!
if you ask me, let the chickens roam free on the property of responsible pet owners and lets take back our beach!!! police it better to make sure no trash is left, no idiot tears it up for the sake of broadies and cookies, hold people accountable for their childish behavior while visiting someone elses back yard!
Cute, Good question about the horses. However, they have a contract that sets the terms of their franchise with the city. So, if the agreement is lacking, maybe you should be talking to our mayor about how that was written.
As a second thought, I always wonder why people park their cars, open their doors and let their children play in the “parking lot”? If you went to Disneyland would you let your children play in their parking lot? Would you let them play in the antifreeze, oil, transmission fluid, and the whole host of other chemicals cars drop into the sand? Why not walk the distance to the restricted area that is clear of cars and allow your children to play where there are neither cars nor horses?
Yes, maybe they could allow the horse people the use of an ATV to collect the poo and keep it off the beach. However, what about those dippers I always see? How about the glass? Should we ban glass like other beaches do? At least the horses pay a franchise fee and B&O. Where are all the vendors that the city said we were going to have? Remember that we made it possible. Maybe they were afraid that they would have had to police the beach for trash from their offerings. Who knows. But do look at the ordinances at that link and think about how Ocean Shores is platted. Could we meet most of those requirements? Could we keep people from abusing their neighbors? Would we just be adding another issue that the city is ill-equiped to handle?
By the way, I did love Crabber’s question and then finding the answer.
…which brings us back to the age-old question of:
WHICH CAME FIRST…THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?
For anyone else who may be wondering; yes, there are eggs without a rooster ~ there are however no possible baby chickens coming from said eggs
i goggled it and answered my own question.
chickens help keep the bug population down. without a rooster can there be any eggs?
as to the question about the goats….i bet they would do a better job keepin the median cut down than the city does and i bet the work for less!
sorry, i had to say it!
The Great Ocean Shores Chicken War of 2010.
as much as someone who thinks chickens might be a nussance in their neighbors yard, someone who travels the beach on a regular basis could say the same about the horses on it. the smell, the poo, the way their hoves tear up the sand, not to mention the snotty attitude of some of the guides who run the tours. yet i dont see any city ordinance controlling the farms who bring the horses to the beach almost on a daily basis during the summer. ive met some nasty guides who think they own the beach, cant drive 10′ without runnin over horse dung and if my kids are on the beach, i dont want them playin in the poo but where is the city controlling that?!if pet owners are supposed to clean up after their dogs in the park, shouldnt someone have to clean up after the horses to?
at least the chicken poo in someones personal yard would be put to better use than a beach littered with horse poo!!!
Just to give people a starting point for an ordinance, here is a link to a whole bunch of local ordinanaces:
http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/chickenlaws.html
Most have distances from the residence and neighbors. Considering that our lots are 60 feet wide and maybe 180 deep, it may be hard to accomplish both the separation and square footage requirements for the fowl. I suggest pigmy goats for brush and weed control. Do they eat horsetail? Sala? Scotch Broom?
You can have chickens in Seattle, Los Angeles, Portand, San Antonio and many more…pretty sure those qualify as cities.
I know at least 3 people in my neighborhood who continue to feed the deer birdseed, and I have yet to see a rat.
And 3 hens in a coop do not smell.
And what about the rats? Since the neighbors had to quit feeding crows and seagulls, the local rats have staged protests and have also demanded the ban against chickens be lifted!
One of the main differences between the city and everything else is NO Barnyard.
I think the coyote, raccoon, bear, and eagle already have a proxy vote. Either way, Our Animal Control Officer can’t even keep up with the number of cats and dogs people have, much less their license tags. Will we have tags for the chickens too? Good luck. We will have to hire an agricultural consultant to write the regulations at $500,000 too. Then comes the complaints about smells. Think how many people complain about the geese that are wild here. How about avian deseases? Bird Flu? Chlamydiosis? Salmonellosis? Colibacillosis? Arizona Infections (Arizonosis)? Eastern Equine Encephalitis? Avian Tuberculosis? Histoplasmosis? Cryptococcosis? Cryptosporidiosis? Allergic Alveolitis?
Cutie…I was just joking. I really didn’t have a coyote, a raccoon,a bear or an eagle come with a petition.
great idea patroller. no reason the ‘law’ shouldnt come with limits. i was raised on a farm in oregon and i miss the farm fresh eggs!
When chickens are outlawed……only outlaws will have chickens
Great idea. Set a max on how many per owner like 3 or 4. No roosters allowed and let people raise enough eggs to supply themselves. The manure is great for the garden. What the heck throw one on the dinner table once in awhile…at least you know what it has been fed..
i signed it?! interesting since i dont live in ocean shores! more over, no one ever came to my door asking to sign anything!
I had chickens in the middle of 50 Northern Wisconsin acres. Ocean Shores really can’t be worse for predators than that!
Yes, last week there were petitioners at my door who were very enthusiastic about the possibility of readily available chickens and eggs right in our own backyards! One of them looked very ‘wiley’ and the other had a mask on. They told me, with very big happy grins, that cutie had signed the petition and they guaranteed that just as soon as she got those chickens in her yard, she would most certainly have ‘other’ things too. (And when the bear and the eagle came knocking with their petition, I had to tell them I had already signed.)
why wouldnt they be allowed? id rather have chickens in my yard then other things!
I would think the Raccoons will second this just for the eggs!