100th blog post

Took a while longer than I had hoped, but here it is: the 100th blog post. 

I've been monitoring the corn pretty closely lately.  I picked an ear today, but it very small and not done.  I also picked several carrots and a funky looking cucumber.   The cucumbers did not pollinate well (nearly at all), so I went out with a little paintbrush and pollinated them by hand.  Not sure how it will turn out, but hopefully well.

There is also some really big news on the horizon!  I'm currently writing up a paper which I will be presenting at our HOA meeting.  I'm both terrified and excited.  I have a lot of points I would like to cover, but due to time constraints, I have 4 main ones.  Here's the paper/outline below.  It's not completely done, but mostly.

___________________________________________________________

Raising Chickens

Introduction

Noise

On a normal day, in our neighborhood, we hear helicopters, airplanes, dogs barking, children, cars and trucks driving by, sprinklers, lawnmowers, and sounds from the pool and the park.

A hen produces very little noise.  Normally people think of the morning crow of a rooster, however, these are not allowed in Arlington.  A hen makes a soft clucking noise, which is not usually audible beyond 25 ft.  The loudest a hen gets is after laying an egg – which occurs one time a day (or less) for a few minutes.

Smell

Chickens themselves do not smell.  Chicken manure does have the potential to smell, which is also true of cats, dogs, and other pets.

A medium-sized dog will generate, on average, 0.75 lb. of manure or feces a day.  A medium sized (4 lb.) hen generates, on average, 0.05 lb. per day.  Obviously, with Arlington’s maximum of 4 chickens (0.20 lbs./day), this would still pale in comparison to the amount of feces a dog produces. 

In addition, a dog’s waste contains harmful bacteria and parasites, such as roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms.  Chicken waste is “compostable” unlike other pet manures, which means it will easily and safely break down organically into the Earth.

Why do people think of odor when they think of chickens?  This answer could vary greatly, but the most likely answer is because many of us have been to a farm or large commercial operation where chickens are processed.  Many of these places are poorly-ventilated, crowded, and not maintained properly.

Arlington Ordinances and Structure

Section 5.02 Keeping of Fowl

A person commits an offense if he:

A. Keeps or maintains more than four (4) fowl on one-half (1/2) acre or less or at a distance closer than fifty feet (50') from any habitation located on another's property; or

E. Fails to keep any fowl of the Order Galliformes [this includes chickens] contained within a coop or pen.

F. Keeps or maintains roosters except in an area zoned as agricultural.

Basically:

A person cannot have more than 4 hens on ½ acre or less.  They must keep the hens 50’ away from a house on another person’s property.  They must be contained within a coop/pen.  And last, no roosters!

The structures above are clearly small.  Chickens require very little space to roam and sleep.  An average sized doghouse is plenty big enough for multiple hens to sleep in, and a hen needs about 6-8 square feet of roaming space.  This is smaller than a 3’ x 3’ fenced in section – incredibly small.

Property Values

Here I will be placing several (2 or 3) letters from local Realtors stating chickens are no more negative to a property-value than a poorly maintained dog house, etc.

Closing

Raising hens offers our neighborhood a unique opportunity to raise animals which are intelligent, social, entertaining, low-maintenance, clean, and quiet.  They’re quieter than nearly every noise we hear through our community, and cleaner than most family pets. 

Most everyone here cares for this community and shows it by maintaining the neighborhood and keeping it beautiful.  I wouldn’t expect that with raising hens it would be any different, so I ask you all to consider overturning the HOA regulations on prohibiting chickens.

Appendices

Appendix A:

Suggested Additional Ordinances

a.       No coop shall exceed 6 feet above grade and must allow for a footprint of at least 2 square feet per chicken housed in the coop.  The maximum single coop footprint size is 40 square feet.  Coops must be located in the rear yard of the lot.  Coops must be kept clean, sanitary, and free from standing water at all times.

b.      Maximum number of chickens allowed per residential lot is 4 hens.  No roosters are permitted.

So, as you can see I have some work to do, but hopefully it'll go over well.  I'm appalled by some of the great papers people have written and put online.  Using that info and my own, maybe I can channel debate from high school and come out on top.