Backyard Chickens in Wake Forest
An animal ordinance in Wake Forest has some people in the town crying fowl. They want to make it easier to legally raise chickens in their backyards. Emily Cole, a Wake Forest resident, was interested in creating a small backyard chicken coop, but she was frustrated when she was unable to receive a permit to do so. Because chickens are considered livestock under town ordinances, you can not raise them in town limits without the written consent of every homeowner within 500 feet of your residence. Cole said she was heartbroken when she did not get the full support of her neighbors. Neighbor Scott Tarkenton said, “Not in the middle of front yards and running around in people’s neighborhoods. I think they should stick to the farms.” But Cole has not given up her resolve to have fresh eggs from her own yard. “My next step, since I can’t convince the neighbors, is to try to convince the town to change the ordinance,” she said. She has since written a petition for residents to sign, if they’d like to see the town ordinance rewritten. “Chickens should be able to be in someone’s backyard, just the way a cat or a dog would be,” Cole argued. David Bissett, who legally raises chickens within town limits on Main Street, said he supports Cole’s efforts. He said, he and his family view the chickens as pets, but also use them for fresh eggs, to reduce the insect population in their yard, and to help provide natural fertilizer for the family’s vegetable gardens. “I wanted my children to …
19 Responses to Backyard Chickens in Wake Forest
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our town allows 5. People raise chickens all around my neighborhood, always have. Of course this is Texas soooo…anyway, I’m getting 5 hens soon. Roosters are the only problem in neighborhoods but I think it’s kind of neat in the wee hours of the mornings to hear the roosters here and there crowing. At least none of them are near my house : ) Also, the train yards are nearby so we get train whistles & roosters. They’re both kind of soothing actually in a nostalgic, forlorn sort of way.
greenpilgrim50
January 11, 2012 at 4:29 pm
We have really got to consider, to we really want to rely on a store bought bird? Apparently the guy in the minivan does( i really have no idea if he was in a minivan,but at the sametime, he really has no idea how “unintrusive” these back yard birds are! Self Reliance should rule here!!!)
Grow, raise, and produce what you can! Wastse nothing! and put back everthing. You WILL NOT be SORRY!
OriginalBurton
January 11, 2012 at 4:41 pm
I’ve lived in NC all my life, and the livestock laws are ridiculous, especially in the “better” sections of town like Wake Forest, Cary and Apex.
myrrath
January 11, 2012 at 4:42 pm
@Sunshyne276 Seriously considering that right now….
CatawbaConvertiCoop
January 11, 2012 at 5:12 pm
The reason I prefer living in the country!
Sunshyne276
January 11, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Wake Forest commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to amend the town’s ordinance regarding raising hens in town limits.
CatawbaConvertiCoop
January 11, 2012 at 5:28 pm
that is very sad that she has to ask to keep an animal. this is one of the good things about living in farm land. no one care what animals you keep cause every one is to far away to really hear or see them
teenmod12
January 11, 2012 at 6:05 pm
nice coop
inbredagogo
January 11, 2012 at 7:01 pm
I am from the south and it just blows me away about how “city minded” Southerns have gotten, but then my parents shares thier views. My mom said that you have to go out in the field and find all the eggs, etc. My dad said that he has seen roosters take down grown men. That is when I realized that my parent’s generation think about farms when they hear raising chickens. They remember thier childhood and why they moved to the city in the first place. HAHA Communication is the key.
firebrandsgirl
January 11, 2012 at 7:54 pm
nice video, thanks for sharing . heres a 3D plan view of our latest
mobile chicken coop as close to free range as you can get,,, see our
channel for plans,,,,many thanks
greenecorevolution
January 11, 2012 at 8:35 pm
chickens have next to mankind longer than dogs
rickbar123
January 11, 2012 at 8:51 pm
I do believe that things like this is not only a growing interest and the wave of the future, they could be a tool that could help shut down disgusting factory farms.
One chicken egg grown in the backyard is not only that chicken living a better life, it’s one less egg that will be purchased by big corporate hogs who think that they can get away with cutting corners and cramming chickens into filthy cages.
JDonahue79
January 11, 2012 at 9:10 pm
I’d rather have a neighbor with a chicken than one with a dog.
loydwho
January 11, 2012 at 9:55 pm
I agree with the change thing b/c, a) chickens don’t bark all night, b) chickens actualy give you something in return, c) they don’t ruin your yard by digging holes in the ground!!
csbarrett14
January 11, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Someone needs to tell Wake Forest’s city council that poultry are not livestock. The USDA and most cities consider them pets.
Also, chickens were exclusively raised by housewives in their backyards until modern poultry farming was developed in the 20’s and 30’s. They are not out of place in urban/subrban settings.
As for the neighbors, would they rather have a few quite chickens or a barking dog or wandering cat.
CooSanJun
January 11, 2012 at 11:28 pm
YAY for urban rebels. We too have girls in our yard, and “against the rules”. Our neighbors love the occasional gift of eggs, and no one has complained. Our friend is the chief of police and he knows about the girls and hasn’t done anything , so we continue “stickin’ it to the man” as it were.
Did you know that in New York City it’s completely legal to have hens in your back yard! Just no rooster…Los Angeles is the same way…and us in NC get stuck with the stuck up’s.
fionaswampington
January 12, 2012 at 12:22 am
I think it’s interesting how the ‘negative’ neighbor guy didn’t understand that they wouldn’t be running around the neighborhood or sitting out ‘in the middle of people’s front yards’… pay attention people!
wfchickens
January 12, 2012 at 12:34 am
Backyard chickens are the way of the future.
tarazod
January 12, 2012 at 1:24 am
good report
odin422
January 12, 2012 at 2:06 am