Jumping through legal hoops - questions

[Ezekiel's Garde]

We are going through a use variance process for our little farm, because we can't have animals on less than 3 acres without one (we have 1.92 or so, but use of 2.56, due to easements).

Because animals are involved, I need to have a plan for anything that might be hazardous or environmentally harmful - I.e., deadstock disposal and manure management.

Can anyone help me there? I have found the phone number of a licensed animal disposal place, so I will call them on Monday to make sure. For manure, the goats are easy - adequate pasture means that manure is spread out and doesn't affect the environment much except to enrich the pasture. What can be scooped up, in sleeping and feeding areas, can be thrown directly on the garden. The chickens, however, are a different story. Their manure is too hot to spread directly on anyhing but weeds. How can I ease the county board of health's mind that I'm not going to stink up or ruin the area? I want to come prepared for my meeting on July 14 and anticipate any concerns they may have.

Additionally, can you think of anything else that they may bring up aside from carcass disposal and what to do with my manure?

Tia!!!!

[billooo2]

possible odors and noises. Neighbors may not appreciate a Nubian screaming at 5:30 AM becasue she wants to be milked.

[Wisconsin Ann]

Are the chickens going to run loose on the grounds,or be in a pen? The group that got the city of Madison (and works with other cities) to allow hens in the backyard in Madison has a website with really good info on how to convince town/city to allow chickens: http://madcitychickens.com/faq.html. They'll answer any questions you have quite quickly...they have helped get chickens in quite a number of cities around the country.

If you're going to have a rooster, that will be a sticking point for some people. Putting the coop in the middle of the property may help.

They don't smell as long as you keep the coop clean. The hens don't make a lot of loud noise. The "manure" comes out in little dribs and drabs....it's never hurt my garden or the fields they're in. Having a couple dozen chickens gives you hardly anything for manure. If you use hay for bedding, the hay absorbs it nicely, and can go directly onto the garden in the fall, or it can into a compost bin for use next year. I just spread the stuff I clean out of the coop right on the garden.

Putting together a detailed print out of your compost bins and how it works with your set up might be a nice touch. If you have an arial view of the property (like from google earth perhaps, or terraserver.com) printing that out, with colored squares for buildings, lines for roads, complete with measurments, etc. would be a good thing. I did that for getting the county board guys to approve our new driveway and they were pretty impressed with the details.

You'll have to convince them the animals won't get out...goats of course, are escape artists...and chickens can fly over some impressive heights considering how small and squat they are. Anyway...take a look at madcitychickens.com - I'm sure you'll find some good hints there.

[tnokie]

Wow! I didn't realize how fortunate I am in being able to have what I want! I don't think I am ready to live in a place that is that restrictive yet. Still to much free America out there to homestead in. Sorry you are bound by such opressive laws and rules. Gives a whole new outlook on Independence Day.

[Ezekiel's Garde]

Thanks all. Yes, our county is a wealthy county, evenly split by affluent suburbia and somewhat affluent farming. We are in an A-2 zone, but they recently placed acreage restrictions. 10 acres to build a house, 3 for farm animals, 10 for larger scale livestock farming (CAFOs). The county wants its money.

Fortunately, our only neighbors either have livestock themselves or don't care much as long as we keep them clean and moderately quiet (normal noise of happy animals). No complaints about the roos yet, and the goats don't scream so much as talk if they're being "neglected," aka not being scratched, milked, or fed when they want it.

Chickens will have a fenced run to keep them from an early demise due to destroying my garden.

[Wolf mom]

You may want to get letters from your neighbors stating that they also have animals (if they do) and they approve of your overall plan & of having animals. Just one less thing for the zoning commission to be able to use.

Fly control? Plan on using diatamaceous earth.

[sparky5982]

You may or may not actually do it, but it might be helpful to present a plan to move the goat manure off the property, with a letter to that effect from whoever is willing to accept it. Then there would be less worry of buildup, odors, and groundwater problems from the board's point of view.

I second Wolf Mom's idea to get letters from all the immediate neighbors.

I've got to believe the number one thing you have to convince the board of is that there will be absolutely no complaints coming their way.

[Yvonne's hubby]

Originally Posted by sparky5982

You may or may not actually do it, but it might be helpful to present a plan to move the goat manure off the property, with a letter to that effect from whoever is willing to accept it. Then there would be less worry of buildup, odors, and groundwater problems from the board's point of view.

I second Wolf Mom's idea to get letters from all the immediate neighbors.

I've got to believe the number one thing you have to convince the board of is that there will be absolutely no complaints coming their way.

I would also expand that google earth print out mentioned by someone else to include the neighbors, with details of their livestock locations in proximity to your property. It would help to clarify to the board that your chickens will most likely not present any new problems in the area.

[edcopp]

"All dead animals and animal byproducts will be disposed in the appropriate legal manner".

Period. End of story. You decide what is appropriate in the future.

[Harry Chickpea]

Don't know if it would pass, but you could put a flush toilet on the front lawn and tell people you would potty train everything. With the level of education these days, I half expect that you could get some zoning folks to buy the idea, hook line and sinker. They might make you move the toilet to the back yard, however.

How do plan to deal with flies? My bet is that if you have a solution like a lick that keeps fly larvae from maturing, and bring that up, they might figure you have things under control.

[whodunit]

Is there any possibility that "way back when" it was okay to have animals without all the restrictions? It might be a good idea to do some research and see if the local government followed the law when they changed things.

There are "grandfather issues" meaning there had to have been somebody who had less than the three acres and animals when the new ordinance was passed. They would likely have been allowed to keep their animals. Maybe your property was one of those before you moved there.

Of course, if you get all legal on the local government it can come back to haunt you since they will do it right the next time and maybe add even more restrictions just to spite you.

[Kmac15]

I use pine horse bedding in my chicken coop, it keeps the smell down and makes it easy to move the manure from the coop straight into my garden area every spring and fall.

[plowjockey]

Indiana law allows animal burial - provided they are buried to a level of six feet deep.

I always bury my chickens six feet under.

[Ezekiel's Garde]

whodunit - yes, there were animals on the property before, but it isn't grandfathered in. We checked. At our church, there are lots of people who have gone before the variance board. Most have had no trouble at all. I can't see that we'll have much trouble, from what they are saying.

Plowjockey - the only concern is that there is a creek on our property, and they may not like dead animal burial so close to that. Fortunately, our vet will dispose of smaller animals (I think under 50#, but he might be willing to help us out if we ever have an adult goat that dies).

Does anyone think that they'll ask about anything other than manure and deadstock? Do they have the right to ask about our processing, since we have no products for sale, and when we do, it will only be goat milk soap?

Thanks all for your input!