Mayor Bowser wants to ban Backyard Chickens

[Anonymous]

-The roads are bloody awful
-MPD is bleeding people left and right to retirement and resignations because the pay and management suck.
-We have a large homeless population afflicted with mental illness
-"affordable" housing is non existent....etc

And what does she choose to bring up right now? Freaking backyard chickens!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like constantly barking dogs, either. Or stray dogs walking around and crapping wherever they like.

If I wanted to live next to a farm, I would've stayed in Wisconsin. I didnt go to Northwestern and UC and spend a decade working to become a limited partner just so I could look out my window in the morning and see someone's chicken coop.

I agree. Drives me crazy when people in our neighborhood try to turn their yards into a farm and the chicken coop thing I just don't get. I have a neighbor who has tried for years to have their entire front yard foster a vegetable garden to no avail and now it is just an overgrown weed pit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would love to have chickens, but does having chickens attract rats if there's already a rat problem? Seriously.

They're not attracted to the chickens themselves, but their food.

This seems like the most logical reason. It would be in line with communities that ban bird feeders.

[Anonymous]

Chickens eat ticks! Bring on the chickens!

[Anonymous]

I have a neighbor with a coop. It is absolutely no problem whatsoever. Much better than the barking dog outside all night.

[Anonymous]

Chickens are for the poors. If I wanted to live next to poor id go to WV.

[Anonymous]

What's the rule in beehives! I've always wanted an apiary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chickens are for the poors. If I wanted to live next to poor id go to WV.

The only dc people I know with backyard chickens are wealthy organic food eating types. Costs a lot to buy the chickens, get a coop, feed etc. People aren't doing coops to make money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chickens are for the poors. If I wanted to live next to poor id go to WV.

The only dc people I know with backyard chickens are wealthy organic food eating types. Costs a lot to buy the chickens, get a coop, feed etc. People aren't doing coops to make money.

Exactly. Chickens are all the rage in Northern California (and parts of Southern California), and these are NOT poor people w/ chickens. The mayor needs to focus on things that matter...and this is not one of them.

[Anonymous]

I don't want to live next to higher income urban hipsters who keep chickens, either.

[Anonymous]

My neighbor has chickens too, I just don't get it.

[jsteele]

Bowser's attempt to ban backyard chickens may be hitting some snags:

http://wamu.org/story/17/05/01/proposed-backyard-chicken-ban-d-c-get-stand-alone-vote/

The anti-Chicken legislation is attached the Budget Reform Act. Vince Gray feels that chickens have nothing to do with the budget and plans to hold hearings on the bill. In addition, CM Cheh opposed including the chicken language in the Budget bill.

A couple other notes about this bill. Bowser is also using it to require cats to be licensed. I also oppose this requirement. I register my dog and it is a useless procedure that requires physically mailing a form and a check and getting a tag that I have never once been asked to show to anyone. It is simply a way for the District to get money out of us.

The bill also includes fines for people who don't remove animal waste from their private property within 24 hours. This is ridiculous. I almost disagree with Gray. Given that this bill looks like nothing more than an attempt to gouge money from residents, maybe it does belong in the budget.

[Anonymous]

I've seen a number of "Lay off the hens" signs around town. Does anyone know where I could get one?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:-The roads are bloody awful
-MPD is bleeding people left and right to retirement and resignations because the pay and management suck.
-We have a large homeless population afflicted with mental illness
-"affordable" housing is non existent....etc

And what does she choose to bring up right now? Freaking backyard chickens!

Exactly. It's crazy.

[jsteele]

According to the latest Post article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-council-poised-to-block-bowsers-backyard-chicken-ban/2017/05/05/cae5d944-30e5-11e7-8674-437ddb6e813e_story.html

The chicken ban, the cat-licensing requirement, and the dog feces removal requirement are all going down to defeat. Gray, Cheh, and Grosso will vote against the legislation on the five-person committee.