Urban homesteaders check local ordinances first

[Urban Homestead]

Don't make the same mistake that I made. I jumped into homesteading because I wanted more control over what I fed my family. I didn't want to support those factory farms that mistreated their livestock so I could buy cheap meat. I wanted us to become self-sufficient and I wanted a better way of life for my kids. I wanted all that while still living in a large city, so we could keep our jobs and our kids could stay in the same school district. We have plenty of land, so we decided to go for it. I learned what I could and got started by getting some chickens. I made a huge mistake in the process! I failed to check my local ordinances to determine whether it's okay to own livestock here. It turns out that hens are okay, but roosters are prohibited. That's thrown a huge wrench into my operation. I feel pretty foolish for not checking my local ordinances before I got started. Some cities don't allow livestock at all, so I guess I got lucky that only the rooster needs to go. Most people probably wouldn't make the same mistake I did, but I wanted to share just as a precaution.

 

[MichaelS]

Interesting. I live in the country so I have no issues. Do you live in a big city? I guess I could see where the neighbors wouldn't want to hear the roosters!

 

[Paul]

That is a fantastic reminder. People who have been farming for a while might know to check the ordinances, but I don't think a lot of people just getting started would necessarily think of doing so. I bet it is a common problem. Have you been able to resolve the issue? I hope it doesn't cause too many problems for you.