Friday, December 31, 2010

CLUCK's Chicken-Related Code Enforcement Quiz Results • Please be seated to read this!

Maybe you saw the Quiz that ran for a number of days in the upper righthand corner of the blog.
Apparently not too many people saw it, or were otherwise engaged because only three people bothered to record an answer. And nobody really nailed it.


Two people thought it had to be a trick question, and one person thought it would be around four percent. 


Here's the scoop: According to the City, during fiscal years 2009 and 2010 the City received 2,988 (that's nearly 3,000!) complaints in which resulted in the following cases where code compliance orders were issued:

·         overgrowth- 1011 cases 29%
·         junk/trash/rubbish - 834 cases 28%
·         housing - 337 cases 11%
·         inoperable motor vehicles - 304 cases 10%
·         illegal exterior storage - 148 cases 5%
·         illegal signs - 109 cases 3.6%
·         no water - 97 cases 3%
·         boats/trailers front yard-52 cases 1.7%
·         commercial vehicles - 48 1.6%
·         trash cans - 39 1.3%
·         graffiti  - 19 .006%


They did respond to 7 chicken complaints (out of nearly 3,000) and only one of them actually resulted in generating a case.  

So 7 out of 2,988 equals 00.2342 percent of the complaints. If that number quadrupled (to 28 complaints) it will still only be 00.9368%. That's a little less than one percent of all code complaints.

Of course, this assumes the volume of other complaints will remain more or less constant. So if you checked trick question and want to feel okay about yourself, you can argue that it all depends on the number of other complaints. Point taken.

CLUCK's point is that, in the greater scheme of things, seven complaints in two years is not a lot and those were complaints regarding people who were violating the law. And only one case resulted.


We'd like to think that people who get chickens after the ordinance is passed will be at least as responsible.

For a humorous treatment (with real facts) of other communities code enforcement realities see David Grimes Offers to Help with Sarasota Chicken Enforcement.


See also Chickens Not A Problem After 2 Year Test in Colorado.


Don't forget to respond to the poll in the upper right letting us know where you live.

CLUCK NEWS: Chicken Fails to Cross Road! Why you ask? Read all about it in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

In a classic Man-Bites-Dog story the Sarasota Herald Tribune has revealed that a Manatee County chicken failed to cross a road. The road in question? Manatee County Road 675.

And unlike in imponderable mysteries of why chickens do successfully cross roads, in this case "authorities" have documented exactly how and why the crossing attempt failed.

:::::::::::SPOILER ALERT:::::::::::::::





It was hit by a Manatee County Sheriff's Office Squad car!

Read all about it (all four lines) here on page 3 of the Police Report.

Accidents such as this one emphasize the importance of confining pets to the owner's property, both for the safety of the pet and the motoring public.

CLUCK's emphasis on BACKYARD chickens is not merely a considerate gesture to those who don't like chicken aesthetics, it is a deliberate effort to keep these animals out of harm's way. 

Thursday, December 30, 2010

CLUCK Addresses Public Health Concerns Posed by Backyard Chickens

One recurring area of concern regarding backyard chickens has been a perceived public health problem. CLUCK has taken these statements very seriously and concedes that the transmission of diseases from pets to humans is always a legitimate area of concern. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has a publication Health risks associated with raising chickens that summarizes health risks associated with chickens. This document emphasizes risks associated with Salmonella bacteria and provides a dozen recommended actions to minimize risk, the best known of which is hand-washing. It should be noted that Salmonella is a well-publicized risk with store-bought eggs and chicken meat and that a variety of other pets, including reptiles, amphibians, and fish (animals normally kept indoors) can all transmit Salmonella.

The University of Florida IFAS Extension has published a document What are the risks of contracting diseases associated with chickens? that concludes While nothing is risk-free, the risk of contracting Avian Influenza, Salmonella, E. coli, or mosquito-borne encephalitis by participating in embryology projects is extremely small.”

It is worth noting that the CDC flags fourteen separate diseases that can move from cats to people, and fifteen separate diseases that can move from dogs to people. It is for this reason (the fact that all pets carry health risks) that public health experts do not flag chickens as posing any greater risk than other pets. CLUCK has received a copy of an email to this effect written Sarasota County’s Director of Environmental Health, Chuck Henry.

Another source of concern is so-called Bird Flu or Avian influenza. If you check the World Health Organization Global Alert and Response website, you’ll see there are no cases of Avian influenza in North America. In addition, according to the CDC Avian influenza is a somewhat misleading name as the influenza A (H5N1) virus has been found in pigs, domestic cats, and dogs.

Finally, in addition to diseases, pet-related injuries should be considered. We found no data related to injuries caused by female chickens. In contrast, the New York Times reported recently that in 2008 about 866 people a day went to the emergency room with dog injuries and about 26 were admitted each day and that treatment for those admitted averaged $18,200 per person. And In Sarasota County in 2009, 31 people needed rabies shots from possibly rabid mammals that could not be located for testing. Chickens cannot transmit rabies.


It is worth reflecting upon the fact that CLUCK is proposing backyard chickens that would have limited contact with humans, while dogs and cats are typically brought into the home and cats are typically encouraged to defecate in the home -- a fact that looks a little strange in print, but is nonetheless true. Cat litter that contains the Toxoplasmosis parasite poses a serious threat to unborn children. CLUCK is not arguing against keeping dogs and cats as pets, rather we are pointing out that all pets pose health risks and we find ways of dealing with those risks that do not involve prohibiting the keeping of those species.


Bottom line: If we were allowing people to have pets based on the risk of disease transmission to humans, cats and dogs (with similar mammalian systems) would be near the end of the list. Chickens would presumably be somewhere near the top (after chia pets, sea monkeys, and pet rocks?). 


But lower risk is not no risk and CLUCK supports proper sanitation for both the health of the chickens, chicken keepers, and neighbors. Young children and people with compromised immune systems are at the greatest risk. Handwashing after contact with animals is now a common protocol for all animals. 


CLUCK appreciates the concern regarding public health, but after reviewing CDC material and other sources, concludes that the health risks associated with backyard chickens are both manageable and less than the risks posed by more common pets.



Wednesday, December 29, 2010

CLUCK: Putting Backyard Chickens on Trial: Solution or New Problem?

One suggestion that has been advanced in regard to the proposed re-legalization of chickens in the City is the idea of a finite trial period -- a test time period with a sunset deadline at which time the whole matter would be evaluated and either continued, modified, or terminated.

Sunset provisions are popular with elected officials because they defer decisions and appear to offer something to both sides. Proponents get to feel like they have gotten most of what they want and can make their case again later, and opponents see it as an opportunity to redouble their efforts to stop what they see as a mistake. Either way it is off the table for awhile -- the hard decision postponed, possibly to another set of decisionmakers.

Hidden in the sunsetting trial period concept are some assumptions:

• The premise that nothing is lost by allowing a change that is only guaranteed for a finite period
• That a particular fixed period determined in advance makes the most sense
• That this is the only way to ensure there will be review and adjustment
• And that the issue will be less contentious the second time around

ASSUMPTION 1: NO COST TO DEFERRING
To the extent that people invest resources during the "trial period" there will be costs and that's because people will make different choices if they think they are making a permanent or a temporary investment. In the case of chickens, people will be investing in a coop. It stands to reason that you might spring for a little better or more secure coop if you thought it was a long term investment, than if you thought it was a short term investment. This becomes obvious the shorter the time period. If it were to be a three month time period people would be foolish to spend a lot of money on a coop.

ASSUMPTION 2: PICKING A FIXED PERIOD MAKES SENSE
Picking a date certain is appealing, but begs the question of how one can know in advance what the most appropriate trial period might be. The matter might prove to be problematic quickly, or it may take more time for issues to arise or problems to resolve themselves. In the case of chickens, it will take people awhile to build or acquire coops, get birds, and get them laying. Would a year be enough to evaluate? Two years? Hard to know in advance.

ASSUMPTION 3: THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE REVIEW
Explicitly declaring a definite trial period may seem like the only way to make sure what has been done can be undone, but that's seldom the case. When you think about it, almost everything in the city proceeds on some sort of trial basis right now. The City manager is employed on sort of a trial basis - if he loses the support of the commission someone else will be hired. Roundabouts are being built on what amounts to a trial basis -- if they are a complete flop, they will eventually be removed and replaced with signaled intersections. Even the commissioners themselves serve on a trial basis -- if the electorate isn't happy they terminate the trial. We can even view the current ban on chickens as a trial -- they were legal, then they weren't, now we're reconsidering -- so their banishment has proceeded on a trial basis. So really, almost any time three commissioners want to revisit something (with the exception of long term arrangements like FP&L or Marina Jacks) they can-- review is always an option.

ASSUMPTION 4: THE ISSUE WILL BE LESS CONTENTIOUS IN THE FUTURE
A basic tenet of procrastination is that by putting something off, it will somehow resolve itself or get easier in the future. That's certainly a possibility, but there is no guarantee. If the parties in contention simply use the trial period to marshal more forces, then postponing a decision won't make things easier, but harder.

ANOTHER DIMENSION  There's a fifth dimension to the issue as it relates to chickens, or any living animal. Unless the those with chickens are to be grandfathered in at the end of the trial, then terminating the trial creates a risk of going to households and telling them to get rid of their chickens. That will not only be traumatic for the owners, but create a serious animal welfare problem. Better to adopt good rules at the front end, than to create problems later on.

For these reasons, the Commission should think carefully about considering any trial period and give serious consideration to the reality that they have the ability to amend or adjust provisions at any time if there is a need.

Re-visiting a situation that has mostly resolved itself because of a prior commitment to do so is probably not the best course of action.


Tuesday, December 28, 2010

CLUCK Asks: Which neighbor activity would you veto?

One of the recurring suggestions regarding the re-legalization of chickens in Sarasota is the notion that neighbors would have to sign off, that is somehow authorize your ability to have a few hens.

There are a number of communities around the U.S. that have such provisions, but this would represent a radical departure here in Sarasota, and it's hard to see how someone could be blamed for calling it un-American.

It would be a major, unprecedented shift in our understanding of Sarasota's traditional neighborhoods for it would amount to handing veto power over your yard to your neighbor.

There are two sound reasons to oppose such a major shift in doctrine, the first is purely practical and the second, principled.

The first reason is that it would, of necessity, demand an entirely new bureaucracy -- some government entity (probably an office) mediating your relationship with your neighbors, keeping track of which neighbor approved what and when. Would these approvals need to be notarized? Are they perpetual, renewable, revokable? Would you need all, or just some neighbors in accord? Some people in town live on inholdings and have but one neighbor, while others have eight neighbors -- what is fair? Would it be the owner of the adjacent parcel, or the occupant? What if someone changed their minds?

The amount of paperwork that might be required is staggering and all to replace what used to be taken as common sense or common courtesy. It would appear that if we are unwilling to maintain a working relationship with our neighbors, the recommended solution is having government mediate that for us. You don't need to be a Tea Party member to see how off-base that is.

The second reason doesn't deal with the practical realities, but rather the principle that a man or woman's home is his or her castle. We all proceed with major home additions, fence building, tree cutting and other activities that require a permit from the city -- but none of these require the blessings of our neighbors. Yet each of these would appear to have far greater impact on our neighbors than a half dozen or less seven pound birds.

Here's a fun thought experiment: Go around your lot and fantasize about what YOU would veto about each of your neighbors. Nix the beginning trombone scale practice? Ban the leaf blower than interrupts your Saturday nap? Oppose all of their garage color choices until they have to paint it to match your house?

Of course, the kicker is what they might veto of yours. Thought you were adding a pool? Guess again. Butterfly garden?  Not happening. Solar panels? Sorry. Oh, and your cat, Mr. Bigglesworth, he was found in the neighbors sandbox and now is felis non grata.

If the City of Sarasota really wants to head along the slippery slope of allowing neighbors to veto other's activities, they should advance it as a new community planning tool and hold workshops to decide what activities would be covered and which would not. Otherwise, either let people have chickens or not.

Creating a new bureaucracy and a dangerous new doctrine is not a solution.

We're not the only CLUCKs: Links to other Similarly-Named Urban Chicken Groups

Rebekah came up with our acronym, which seemed like an improvement over the obvious Sarasota Urban Chicken Keeping. But it turns out we are not the only CLUCK's around. Here's a sampling of some of the others:

Sacramento's Campaign to Legalize Urban Chicken Keeping

Canadian Liberated Urban Chicken Klub

Charlottesville League of Urban Chicken Keepers

Cluck Ottawa

Northfield Minnesota's Project Cluck

Also see CLUCK NATION "a nesting place where common sense prevails, where birds of a feather flock together, where absurd realities of our world are given perspective and then replayed, prompting even the most simple-minded birdbrain to ask, quite simply, what the cluck?"

Monday, December 27, 2010

CLUCK Report: Six Chickens vs. One Dog: What's the Scoop on Poop?

CLUCK concedes that large quantities of chicken manure can have a distinctive unpleasant odor. But the same can be said for most animal waste.

Whether dog feces smell worse than chicken manure is no doubt subjective, but according to one website an English Springer Spaniel would produce over 10,000 lbs of feces in its (average 12 year) lifetime. Yet, odds are we are unlikely to notice the smell of such a neighbor dog’s lifetime 5 tons of waste.

The daily output of manure from a hen is from .2 to .34 pounds per day. So six hens might produce somewhere between 1.2 and two pounds a day. Six average-sized hens (weighing about 7 lbs each) would cumulatively weigh about 42 pounds, as much as that one English Springer Spaniel, a popular mid-sized dog.

Those six hens, by contrast, would produce between 438 and 745 pounds of manure a year or 5,256 to 8,940 pounds total for all six hens over a 12 year period -- half to five sixths as much waste as a comparable weight dog. So, quantitatively at least, in terms of waste produced, six chickens would be generating considerably less than an average dog.

And bear in mind the chicken manure would be confined to the backyard, while dog waste is sometimes found along the sidewalks and streets throughout the neighborhood. Most dog owners are responsible, but we have all forgotten a bag at times, and when your dog's digestive system is not working properly there isn't always something that can be picked up.

Friday, December 24, 2010

CLUCK's Sarasota-based, chicken-oriented, Christmas-themed humor.

Only seven of you found this when it was originally posted with title a tad too dry and earnest.

Consequently we we reposting and explicitly signaling that it is a Christmas-themed humor column. Click the highlighted text below to get to the post.

CLUCK's Sarasota-based, chicken-oriented, Christmas-themed humor.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Chicken Breed Selector App for iPhone Reflects Growing interest in Backyard Chickens

In addition to burgeoning online resources such as the Backyard Chicken Forum (nearly 75,000 users), a preponderance of backyard chicken books (over a dozen on Amazon) , and local County Extension Office "Chicken 101" Workshops, Mother Earth News has just announced a chicken app for the iPhone, iPad, and iTouch: Pickin Chicken.


The app is not a menu planner, but a searchable database designed to aid in selecting among 75 different breeds, using more than a dozen search criteria. Think of it as sort of a field guide to domestic chicken breeds.  


$2.99 from Apple's online app store.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

CLUCK's Insider Tips for a Safe (and Legal) Twelve Days of Christmas in Sarasota

Twelve Drummers Drumming: Not recommended -- Likely city noise violation particularly after 10:00 p.m. Avoid downtown areas, residential areas, and any areas likely to contain people. Any drums seized will be auctioned at the Siesta Beach Drum Circle Sunday Jan.16th.

Eleven Pipers Piping: Even the most serious pinhole leaks in slabs seldom require eleven plumbers. You'll need to comply with the Standard Plumbing Code of 1994 and get permits-- and be sure to hire a licensed contractor. Why not have your drywall checked while you're at it?

Ten Lords a Leaping: Great gift idea. Unfortunately delayed to coincide with Sailor Circus performances March 30th through April 9th 2011. Please support the Greatest Little Show on Earth.

Nine Ladies Dancing: Not Cheetah Club! This gift may violate non-compete clause with Sarasota Ballet -- use caution. Consider substituting Sarasota Ballet's A Right Royal Affair in early February.

Eight Maids a Milking: No municipal restrictions on nursing moms, and see also Florida Statute 383.015 regarding State policy regarding breastfeeding in public. However unless you have eight infants, the utility of this gift is questionable and the availability of wet nurses may be very limited this century. Let's save this valuable resource for the infants that really need it.

Seven Swans a Swimming: Two options -- both illegal. Native Trumpeter and Tundra (Whistling) Swans protected by Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Domesticated Black and Mute Swans prohibited by City Ord. 99-4163 although Sarasota Jungle Gardens may have an exemption. If you want to see a Black Swan, check out Natalie Portman's new movie at Burns Court Cinema.

Six Geese a Laying:  Also prohibited by City Ord. 99-4163.

Five Golden Rings: Fraud alert! Use of the ambiguous term "golden" possibly suggests costume jewelry with an attractive metallic color, finish, or glisters, but which may or may not contain elemental gold. Stay vigilant this holiday season.

Four Calling Birds: Recommended. High-end calling birds are not considered poultry and hence are perfectly legal Sarasota gift suggestions. Consider replacing prohibited species (swans, geese, French hens, turtle doves, and partridge) with calling birds, which takes the total calling bird quota up to 24 birds). Remember to only purchase captive-bred birds and adopt whenever possible.

Three French Hens: Prohibited. Probably refers to Cuckoo Marans, a breed of chicken noted for dark brown, chocolate-colored eggs. As anticipated, prohibited by City Ord. 99-4163.

Two Turtle Doves Also prohibited by City Ord. 99-4163, although you can place as much bird feed as you want in an outdoor feeder to subsidize Mourning Doves, and Eurasian Collared Doves. Odd that you can feed as many doves as you want outside a cage, but not keep one in a cage. 


Please exercise caution feeding Rock Doves (AKA pigeons) lest Sharkey's avian control agents find out.

Partridge in a Pear Tree: Not recommended.  Pears require a minimum number of chilling hours for fruit set and our portion of the state is generally too warm. Probably only suitable as gift north of Gainesville.

Partridges: Prohibited, though maybe not for the reason you might expect. The two species of partridge introduced into North America (Chukar and Grey) are western species not found in southwest Florida. But, since these are wild and not domesticated species, if there were any, they would be regulated by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and not the City of Sarasota. That wild versus domesticated distinction explains why the City does not have jurisdiction over the keeping of venomous animals, none of which are featured in this traditional listing of twelve potential gifts.


Overall, looks like your best gift bets would be the Sailor Circus, Sarasota Jungle Gardens, Burns Court Cinema, the Sarasota Ballet, and a whole bunch of calling birds.


Have a great holiday season from Sarasota CLUCK.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

CLUCK Outreach: Setting a New Standard

Changes in the Sarasota City Code and City Zoning can be initiated in a number of ways by a variety of entities. Some originate with Commissioners or staff who perceive a need and begin researching ways to improve things. Business interests are another source of proposed changes – the city Planning Board recently spent a lot of time debating awnings and signs at St. Armands. And citizens are free to propose changes and if the City Commission so directs, staff works on drafting proposed changes for the Board to consider.

All these routes include public notice and hearing provisions, but some citizens still complain they never hear about proposed changes until it is too late.

Some people advised CLUCK to take a low-profile, under-the-radar approach to re-legalizing chickens in the City, but CLUCK chose a different high-profile route, undertaking what may be the most extensive and ambitious outreach effort for a volunteer initiative in the City of Sarasota.

Over the past 18 months, CLUCK has utilized seven “channels” or venues to maximize the likelihood interested members of the public can learn about what is being proposed.

NEWS MEDIA: The CLUCK backyard chicken initiative is newsworthy (with lots of pun potential) and CLUCK has cooperated with local print, radio, and TV media to get the word out. Over 20 stories and editorials have appeared to date, most of which can be accessed from the blog.

WEBSITE: CLUCK maintains a website with information about upcoming meetings, Frequently Asked Questions, Common Concerns, and Other Chicken Info. 

MONTHLY MEETINGS: CLUCK holds monthly meetings to educate, entertain and strategize. Meeting topics have included coop comparisons, show-and-tell chicken breeds and we have screened two chicken documentaries.

FACEBOOK GROUP: CLUCK created a Facebook Group to enable Facebook Users to show their support and stay informed. We now have over 500 group members who keep current through Facebook.

CCNA: At the outset of the initiative CLUCK supporters attended a meeting of CCNA (the Coalition of City of Neighborhood Associations) to let representatives from city neighborhoods know about the CLUCK initiative. The CCNA reps provided a number of suggestions that have been incorporated into the draft ordinance. In addition, CLUCK offered to provide a representative to attend neighborhood board meetings to explain what was being considered, answer questions, and listen for additional concerns. This offer has been repeated four separate times so every participating neighborhood has had a ample opportunity to learn about what is being proposed.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: CLUCK has worked with charter CLUCK supporter Alex Coe and IFAS to encourage educational chicken workshops.  Alex’s workshop was held October 15th and the first County Extension “Chickens 101” will be held in January 8th.

CLUCK BLOG: The CLUCK Blog has become a huge success with over 5,300 pageviews, over 70 blog entries and access to local content as well as links to other backyard chicken online sources. In addition, the SarasotaCLUCK blog is linked to SarasotaSpeaks so that additional audiences can find blog postings.

In addition to CLUCK's efforts, City Planning Staff maintains an extensive email list of interested groups and individuals who have been notified about the proposed code changes related to chickens.

The combined effects of staff's efforts, combined with those of CLUCK and the County Extension Office have resulted in an unprecedented effort to inform the public.



Monday, December 20, 2010

CLUCK HIstory: City Planning Board Votes to Oppose Ban on Chickens

Take a trip back in time to April of 1990 when the City Commission was considering banning chickens, apparently in part because one resident had 75 chickens!

Even so, the City Planning Board unanimously opposed the ordinance.

Had the Commission dealt with the particular problem instead of a one size fits all approach, having a few chickens would still be legal today.

We're basically talking about correcting a mistake.

Read the article here on page 42 of the April 16th 1990 Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Consumer Reports: Most Tested Chicken Broilers Contaminated

Hey, Great News! When Consumer Reports checked out bacteria on broiler chickens earlier this year, more than a third of the birds tested had neither Salmonella nor Campylobacter bacteria. That's a big bump from January 2007 when eight of ten broilers tested harbored those bacteria and a great reason to thoroughly cook poultry and avoid contaminating your kitchen workspace. (P.S. Some of the bacteria were antibiotic resistant.)  Read the Consumer Report analysis here.

Backyard Chickens: A matter for neighbors or neighborhoods?

Neighbor Matters versus Neighborhood Matters

Neighborhoods struggle with a wide variety of challenges and opportunities.  Many of these challenges are the result of external, intrusive threats that have the potential to permanently change the character of the neighborhood.  Big incompatible buildings, cut-through traffic, undesired government infrastructure projects, and crime waves are all too common examples.

In order to cope with these challenges, neighborhoods organize and select leaders who can argue on behalf of the neighborhood, secure in the knowledge that the residents are united in a strong consensus opposing the threat (or endorsing the opportunity). And when these matters affect multiple neighborhoods they band together for collective action.

One hallmark of this type of proposed change is that while the strength of objection (or support) may vary across the neighborhood, there is general agreement about whether neighbors oppose or support the proposed change. A hypothetical example could be a waste transfer station proposed for a lot zoned Government Use on the edge of the neighborhood. Neighbors closest to the site can be expected to be the most alarmed and most motivated. But even neighbors on the other side of the neighborhood can be relied upon to question the change and virtually no one can be found that supports placing the waste transfer facility in the neighborhood. And residents in the targeted neighborhood feel especially put upon or burdened – “why does it have to be in OUR neighborhood?”

Another hallmark of this type is that the change typically affects only one or two neighborhoods. The waste transfer facility directly affects the neighborhood in question, as well as the adjacent neighborhood, but the vast majority of neighborhoods in the City have no particular stake in the outcome.

The exception of course, is a city-wide change being contemplated by government. An example could be a proposed shift in rules regarding neighborhood compatibility – how to evaluate proposed non-residential projects adjacent to residential neighborhoods. In this case, many, if not most, neighborhoods have something at stake and they can be expected to coordinate their support for or opposition to what is being proposed.

This is how neighborhoods and neighborhood coalitions work best, agreeing on a course of action to challenge or endorse something there is broad agreement on.

But not all change comes from the outside. In some cases change comes from within, from the neighbors themselves, and this creates quite a different dynamic.

Florida Yards are an example. People disenchanted with the cost and upkeep of conventional yards abandon turf grass for butterfly plants, native shrubs and bunch grasses such as Purple Muhly and Fahkahatchee grass. Other neighbors are aghast and appalled, believing that it is hard to tell wildflowers from weeds and argue that they moved into a neighborhood with lawns and expect it to remain so. Some neighbors don’t care – how people tend their yards seems to be either a trivial or private matter. And some have no interest in abandoning their lawns but feel its okay if others want to.

At the heart of things, matters like Florida Yards and the switch towards native landscaping are not neighborhood issues, but neighbor issues. Reasonable people can disagree on such things and there is no real neighborhood consensus. Trying to push the neighborhood one way or the other simply exacerbates tensions as the factions escalate their efforts to affect the decision-making process. Rather than strengthening a neighborhood, such battles have the potential to weaken and polarize the neighborhood.

Clotheslines are another example. Some find them tacky, unsightly throwbacks to an earlier, less refined time, and perhaps a little like airing laundry in public. Proponents know they are saving energy, but more than that, they see it as a property rights issue.

Backyard Chickens: A Case in Point

At first take, the matter of backyard chickens appears to be a case of government reaching into the neighborhood to change the rules everyone agreed to live by, a perception that leads to it being perceived as clearly a neighborhood matter.

But as the discussion matures, it becomes clear that it is actually quite different and more analogous to Florida Yards than a waste transfer facility or a city-wide change in compatibility rules.

How can we tell?

a)    This is not a matter limited to one or two neighborhoods, but would affect most. Only the multi-family and mandatory homeowner associations would be unaffected. This means the proposed change is not targeting or unfairly burdening any particular neighborhood.

b)   There is no single identifiable site – no geographic locus to the matter. Any private single family lot, anywhere in the neighborhood could have chickens, or could not have chickens.

c)    While there may be a majority opinion, it is neither virtually unanimous or a consensus. Some are strongly opposed, but there are significant numbers of people that don’t care, are advocates, or who don’t want chickens themselves, but don’t mind if the neighbors have them.

d)   Backyard chickens is not a government project being rammed down the throat of a targeted community and neither is it the big outside developer or outsiders bringing in traffic or crime. Backyard chickens are being advocated by other neighbors – it is people inside the community, and owning property in the community that are arguing for the change.

Implications

As a result, unpredicted things happen. Neighborhood leaders that initially approach the backyard chicken proposition as an external threat come to find that not everyone agrees with them. The solidarity that comes with fighting a big government project or a big private project is lacking. 

In fact, it turns out that neighborhood board members are often split on the matter, reflecting the differing perspectives within the neighborhood.  And that is exactly what has happened – neighborhoods that were presumed to be 100% against chickens have been revealed to be either divided or indifferent.

When individual neighbors are not in strong, nearly unanimous, agreement attempting to characterize the neighborhood as against (or for!) brings significant risk of weakening neighborhood organization. 

This is why CLUCK has never asked a neighborhood board to endorse backyard chickens – we realize that reasonable neighbors can disagree, that some people are opposed, and that pushing for a vote in such situations is a neighborhood-weakening endeavor.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Sarasota CLUCK blog logs 5,000 pageviews: Record for local citizen-driven outreach?

Around 7:15 on the evening of Saturday December 18th, 2010, the Sarasota CLUCK blog recorded its five thousandth pageview. The first blog entry was June 11, 2009.

The Sarasota CLUCK blog started off slowly --the average number of page views per day over the entire year and a half period is only nine.

Dramatic Increase in Pageviews
But over the last three weeks the pace increased dramatically, averaging 90 pageviews a day.

Aside from the decimal elegance of this milestone, what does 5,000 pageviews mean? Is it significant?

There are two aspects to the significance, first it reflects broad interest in the topic. Because this is the internet, anyone anywhere can log on to view this material, but because it is focused on Sarasota and backyard chickens, we have to believe the vast majority of pageviews represent local interest.

Secondy, and more importantly, it represents what may be the most ambitious public outreach effort for a volunteer citizen-led initiative in the City of Sarasota. Seventy (70) different blog posts are available with a keyword search box  (that white box in the upper left) that allows anyone with internet service to search and access opinion, analysis, humor, and events. In addition, the blog provides to links to numerous local media reports on the subject and more than 20 links to other backyard-chicken related websites.

The CLUCK initiative is not run by paid staff --- it is an all volunteer effort and may represent the most extensive volunteer citizen outreach effort ever undertaken in the City of Sarasota.

If you can think of another contender for this title, please utilize the comment box to stake a claim.

POSTSCRIPT Dec 19th. . . . In the 24 hours since this was first posted, more than a hundred additional pageviews were recorded.

Pelican Press Editorial on Chickens: An Open-minded Response

One unfortunate aspect of the current debate regarding urban chickens in Sarasota is the tendency (probably for people on both sides) to adopt a position first, and then cast about for arguments supporting that position second. One thing that gets lost in such a process is a clear definition of precisely what people are taking a position on.

Too often the position is based simply on the idea of chickens. While some are neutral, many people like or don't like chickens to start with and base their position on that initial reaction rather than taking the time to consider 1) what is actually being proposed and 2) whether their personal likes or dislikes should govern their neighbors behavior -- a somewhat appealing fantasy until the situation is reversed and your neighbor gets to govern your behavior.

The Pelican Press published an editorial  Dont' say no to chickens just yet that adopts an open-minded stance, neither gung-ho chicken advocacy nor no-way prejudice. They note many of the urban areas that already allow chickens and endorse 5 provisions already in the draft ordinance language.

They support chicken workshops to help ensure neophytes have some idea what they are getting into. (Such IFAS Extension Office workshops already exist here in Sarasota. Learn how to sign up here.)

And they advocate a sunset provision, an idea this blog will respond to separately.

All in all, the Pelican should be congratulated for approaching the subject with an open, but critical mind.
The editorial ends as follows:


 "It would be reassuring to believe our commissioners won't ignore the positive aspects and bow to the will of those who fear change.

There is a persuasive case to be made for the nutritional value of home-grown eggs.

Is there anyone who remembers what one actually tastes like?

Has it really been that long?"

Friday, December 17, 2010

Humane Society Charges Publix Egg Supplier with "animal abuse and food safety threats".

The Humane Society is claiming "rampant abuse of caged chickens and food safety issues after a recent undercover investigation of Publix Supermarkets main egg supplier, Cal-Maine Foods."  Read the story here. Read the full report here.

One common argument against backyard chickens in Sarasota is that people can buy a dozen eggs for $1.50 or 99¢, so they should not be allowed to keep chickens.

While anyone can calculate the price of eggs produced by caged layers, few take the time to determine the cost. Watch the video here.

After watching such a video, Sarasotans can hardly be blamed for wanting to know how their eggs are produced.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

North Carolina Town Approves Chicken Ordinance Similar to One Proposed for Sarasota

Davidson North Carolina, a town about a fifth the size of Sarasota, just approved a chicken ordinance remarkably similar to the one being proposed here in Sarasota -- four hens, no roosters, ten foot setback from property lines. The vote was 5-0. "Davidson joins Charlotte, Asheville, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Durham among North Carolina towns allowing chickens".  Read the about it here.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

CLUCK Report: Forget Atlanta and Miami Chicken Comparisons

Opponents of backyard chickens have some favored locales they like to invoke when discrediting chickens. This CLUCK report shows why a couple of such comparisons are groundless.

ATLANTA  Rumors are Atlanta has big chicken problems. Well, for starters, Atlanta, with 541,000 people is ten times bigger than Sarasota, so any problem will be magnified by an order of magnitude.

But, and far more importantly, Atlanta allows 25 chickens, with no apparent restrictions against roosters. No wonder we hear about the situation down here -- that's four to six times as many chickens as we are discussing here in Sarasota with free wake-up calls provided.

MIAMI Similar story . . . 433,000 population -- more than 8 times larger than Sarasota and up to 15 chickens allowed.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

CLUCK news: Chicken Attacks Child

After being threatened by an aggressive kid, a no nonsense chicken took matters into its own wings and apparently decided the best defense was a good offense. Watch the video here.

As far was we know the ninja kid was chastened and probably embarrassed but physically unharmed.

In other news, the New York Times reported today that serious dog bites almost doubled over a 15 year period, "increasing to 9,500 in 2008 from 5,100 in 1993". Serious dog bites are dog bites that require hospitalization.

The increase "vastly exceeded population growth, and pet ownership increased only slightly during the same period" according to the report's author, Anne Elixhauser, a senior research scientist with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Among other findings:

• About 866 people a day went to the emergency room with dog bites in 2008 and about 26 were admitted each day.

• Treatment for those admitted averaged $18,200 per person.


CLUCK supports dog and cat pet ownership. CLUCK also supports abandoning the double standards that apply one set of expectations to privileged common pets and another far more stringent set for less common pets. Let's level the pet playing field.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Sarasota County Extension Office Announces CHICKENS 101 Workshop

The University of Florida IFAS Extension Office here in Sarasota County is announcing a CHICKENS 101 Workshop. The cost is $15. The date: Saturday January 8th. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

If you have never raised chickens before this workshop will help you decide if chickens make sense for you, and, if so, how to have success. The image below should enlarge if you click on it. (Two clicks might be necessary.)

Sunday, December 12, 2010

CLUCK responds to 38 chicken objections raised in letters to the editor

The Sarasota Herald Tribune ran two batches of numerically balanced (five each) letters to the Editor (December 7 and 12th) regarding backyard hens in the City of Sarasota. Eight ran on the 7th and ten ran on the 12th. Curiously, one letter in opposition ran on both dates. According to our count, there were more than three dozen objections raised. CLUCK responded to the second batch first. Here are some brief responses:

1) HW writes about an unfortunate experience in Cleveland, but provides no dimensions of the problem. If the neighbor had four hens in the backyard this might be very relevant, but we suspect this neighbor had too many hens and possibly roosters as well. Obviously too many of any pet species can create problems for neighbors - that's why CLUCK advocates limiting hens to six or less. As far as we know there is no fixed limit on the number of dogs or cats a neighbor can have in the city (although some communities do place ceilings on the total number of pets).

2) RV Most people don’t know how much care chickens need. TRUE. But most people also don’t know how much care a dog, or firstborn child, needs and that doesn’t lead to a municipal prohibition on dogs or children. CLUCK supporters and our local extension office are responding with workshops. In addition there are now dozens of books and an extensive online network offering information and advice. Backyard Chickens has a forum with over 73,000 members and sometimes more than 1,000 are online at one time.

3) RV Strong Coop required TRUE CLUCK wants people to have success with chickens and wants chickens to be safe. The workshops noted above stress sturdy coop design. One argument for making chickens legal is to provide the incentive to spend good money on coop design instead of doing the minimum because the birds might be taken away at any time.

4) RV Feed draws rats TRUE Food draws rats. Food that people leave out for their cats attracts rats, fruit on citrus, avocado and other fruit trees attracts rats, and food scattered from bird feeders attracts rats, but we don’t prohibit outdoor feeding of four-legged pets, growing fruit trees or stocking bird feeders. The proposed code requires people to keep chicken food in secure containers and that is only common sense. Unlike many residents, chicken keepers are likely to to vigilant about rats and other scrounging omnivores.

5)RV Loose chickens could cause squabbles PARTIALLY TRUE Chickens, like dogs, cats and most other pets other than fish, can occasionally "get out" and leave the owner's premises. If there is pre-existing tension between neighbors, we agree that a loose pet can trigger a border skirmish incident. But lost dog and cat signs are common decorations on phone poles in the city and lost pets frequently result in neighbors collaborating to locate, catch and return the wayward animal. Such good neighbor initiatives build, rather than weaken, neighbor relations.

6) RV Not pleasant odor SUBJECTIVE? Dry chickens don't really have much of a discernable odor, just as many dry dogs don't smell too much.

7)RV Don’t know how the city "fathers" can consider chickens RHETORICAL The city commissioners directed staff to work on this because an organized group of responsible residents presented a reasonable case that they should. That would seem to be an obligation of a government.

8)RV Eggs are $1.50 a dozen FALSE Eggs are not being sold at a fixed cost of $1.50 a dozen. Some chain pharmacies frequently advertise 99¢/dozen eggs while Whole Foods would be happy to sell you some at prices approaching $5.00 a dozen. People who want chickens for their eggs don't simply want eggs, they want to know both what went into their eggs and how the chickens that produced those eggs were kept. See a recent Herald Tribune Article regarding egg safety and bungled federal oversight.

9)RV Chickens are a Fad QUESTIONABLE See for more on the fad argument see Herald Tribune Covers City Planning Board on Chickens

10)MC Animals should not be caged OPINION This is a personal opinion to which the writer is entitled. Since virtually every terrestrial pet is caged, crated, or kenneled at some point, we might infer that this individual does not believe in the keeping of pets.

11)MC Chickens are farm animals QUESTIONABLE “farm animal” has no technical meaning. Many, if not most, farms have dogs and cats. Fish, and ostriches, are farmed, but most would not consider them farm animals. Dogs are raised in deplorable “puppy mills” which could be considered dog farms. It is not clear how labeling or stereotyping an animal aids in the discussion of whether it might be an appropriate pet.

12) MC What about a hurricane? VALID CONCERN City Staff and CLUCK are advocating movable coops that can be relocated to a garage or other safe spot during tropical storms. This is a provision specifically designed for our region.

13) MC Odor on humid day QUESTIONABLE We are talking about six or fewer birds. Four laying hens should produce somewhere in the vicinity of one pound (total) of manure a day. That's 75% water, so we are talking about 4 ounces of dried waste. The quarter pound of waste that each chicken produces might be compared with data from the Four Mile watershed in Northern Virginia where dogs are estimated to contribute 5,000 pounds of feces a day, or an average of .438 pounds each per day. CLUCK is not denying that large scale application of chicken manure does not have a discernible objectionable odor, but rather that small amounts in the coop (in bedding) and outdoors will not be noticeable. And CLUCK suggests those offended by chicken waste conduct their own thought experiment: if you had to step in an equal amount of chicken or dog waste, which would you choose?

14) MC Impossible to enforce not selling eggs? TRUE As a practical matter, it is probably impossible to prevent the sale of eggs. But four to six hens are unlikely to ever produce enough eggs for sale and advertising can be prevented.

15) MC Can people come pick up eggs? PRESUMABLY YES. But four or six hens are not going to produce enough eggs to create any noticeable change in traffic to a residential home. See answer above.

16) MC College graduates said to be moving away because we do not allow chickens. Also said about noise ordinance MIXED Young people leave Sarasota for many complex reasons. It is unlikely anyone has left solely because they could not have chickens. But you don’t need to talk to many young professionals to realize that outdoor music, community gardens, backyard hens, bicycle support, and other issues are important to them and some young professionals that leave Sarasota do cite the City's positions on amenities such as these as contributing factors.

17) MC Real estate disclosure FALSE While owners are required to disclose defects in their property that they are aware of, as far as CLUCK knows there is no requirement to disclose any information about neighboring properties.

18 )MC (Won't this lead to) another type of animal? LIKELY FALSE Using this domino theory logic, dogs should not have been allowed because they would lead to cats and cats should not have been allowed because they would lead to chickens. Dogs haven't led to wolves, and cats haven't led to cheetahs. The fact is chickens have been allowed in the City for 80% of the city’s history. No other organized group is advocating for any other animal, so the likelihood that chickens are some sort of "gateway drug" for harder, more serious pet addictions is a stretch.

19) MC What about property rights? AMBIGUOUS It is not clear what this refers to do. People who would like to have pet hens have property rights as well. Efforts to require people to have neighbors approve actions on their own property has a certain un-American ring to it. Government should not be creating a new bureaucracy mediating relations between neighbors. Do you want your neighbors having to approve changes to your yard? Vetoing what pets you can have?

20) MC Where does it stop? RHETORICAL QUESTION No one can predict the future. Who knew we'd have outdoor dining downtown, roundabouts, a return of cisterns, and teenagers wandering about in the streets in order to have a "private" cell phone conversation? See also concern 18.

21) PS No budget for code enforcement or staff MARGINALLY TRUE Staff reductions and increased code enforcement demands resulting from foreclosures and abandoned homes have stretched resources, but there still is a budget and they do now deal with chicken complaints. We have seen no data to suggest that code enforcement actions will increase as a result of re-legalization. Enforcement calls may actually decrease or stay the same. But if the ability to enforce code and pet rules is to be a pre-requisite for having pets, we’ll have to get rid of most of the dogs and cats in the City since existing rules regarding these pets are not being enforced.

22) HB Sex discrimination against roosters – both sexes happy with roosters. It is hard to tell if this is a lighthearted tongue-in-cheek commentary or a serious claim. If it is serious, it is FALSE. Backyard Poultry magazine contains one or more ads for what are euphemistically called “chicken saddles”. One brand is called “HenSaver”. A chicken saddle, “is a device you put on your hens to protect their backs from roosters during mating. When roosters mate with hens, the hens often sustain feather loss and cuts and gashes on their backs and shoulders that can lead to infection, picking, cannibalism and death.” With a limit of just a few hens, adding a rooster would create an abusive situation. If you Google hen rooster ratio, you'll see most sources suggest hens in the double digits for each rooster. Advocating equal numbers would not make hens happy.

23) HB Why debate chickens while our country is at war? Wartime has traditionally been a time the government encourages people to have chickens. See this poster from World War I when keeping backyard hens was a patriotic duty.


The following comments were in response to from letters a week earlier, Dec. 7.




24) CK How does keeping chickens make Sarasota more attractive to a younger, hipper crowd? We guess because younger hipper people may be more interested in sustainability, and knowing where their food comes from. This was sworn testimony at a public meeting – maybe CK should respect the views of young people rather than demeaning and mocking them.

25) CK How can they find the time? According to the federal government, they take “only a few minutes a day.”

26) CK Want chickens? Get a farm! Really? And if you want grapefruit you have to buy a grove? And if you want tomatoes, you have to get another farm? If you want to practice putting, you need to buy a golf course? Again, according to the federal government: “Even the smallest backyard has room for a flock large enough to supply the house with eggs.”

27) MM Enforcement would cost money we don’t have There has been no testimony to indicate why enforcement calls should increase over the 3.5 calls per year we’ve been averaging.

28) MM no means of enforcement Not true. We have both existing staff and penalties.

29) MM Chickens are noisy. Chickens do make noise, but with the exception of fish and some herps, so do most pets. Our analysis suggests that songbirds in your yard will be louder than neighbor’s chickens.

30) MM Chickens attract predators. Yup, and unlike most people that feed birds, or put food out for the cat chicken keepers will do something about rats. A handful of chickens will not increase the number of predators, since they would provide so little food. See Question 41.

31) MM Manure odor. Actually a dog that weighs the same as six chickens produces more feces. We can argue about the relative odors, but there is no reason why anyone would smell chicken manure on an adjoining property and we’re advocating language to codify that.

32) MM Most appropriate on farms or large lots Don’t tell New York, Seattle, Houston, San Francisco or dozens of other major US cities. Our country is in transition and the homey memories of illustrations of the farmstead with the pigs and sheep, and goats, and chickens and geese, and cows, etc. have been largely replaced with industrial facilities. That’s a large part of why people are interested in their own hens, a more humane life, more control over what they eat.

33) MM Surrounded by 17 dogs This indirectly makes the case for chickens. It’s hard to avoid concluding MM wouldn’t be better off surrounded by 17 chickens than 17 dogs “whose owners are not always responsible about curtailing barking or picking up feces.”

34) EA Chickens smell Not perceptibly. And I’d rather drive to Gainesville with a wet hen in the car than a wet dog.

35) EA Feces are toxic Not sure what this means exactly, I hope not an implication that other pet feces are non-toxic. Humans are wise to avoid contact with all feces.

36) EA Feces can carry disease The facts are there are much greater threats to human health from dog and cat feces than chickens.

37) EA Not fun to take care of Not sure what pets are actually “fun” to take care of (maybe sea monkeys?) – this is a subjective opinion.

38) EA Look at Key West! Key West is the poster child for what we are trying to avoid. Key West let a situation get out of hand. And its not residents who have their allowable four chickens that are the problem.
The problem is the so-called ‘gypsy chickens’ of Key West that are a feral, wild population – just like feral cats or iguanas or Muscovy ducks that no one takes care of, but which somehow reproduce and survive. It doesn’t help that some tourists feed them and consider them part of Key West’s quirky charm.
Right now there is a $50 fine for having chickens in Sarasota, which is a strong disincentive for being responsible or claiming ownership. “Oh, THOSE chickens. Never saw them before. No idea who they might belong to.
If we have a reasonable, controlled program that allows people to have a few hens legally then the odds are better of avoiding a situation where people get chickens and release them, claiming “Who me? The’re not mine”.

39) RV This letter was printed twice, once on Dec. 7 and once on the 13th. This answer is the same as answer 2 in the previous response to letters. Most people don’t know how much care chickens need. TRUE. But most people also don’t know how much care a dog, or firstborn child, needs and that doesn’t lead to a municipal prohibition on dogs or children. CLUCK supporters and our local extension office are responding with workshops. In addition there are now dozens of books and an extensive online network offering information and advice. Backyard Chickens has a forum with over 73,000 members and sometimes more than 1,000 are online at one time.

40) This letter was printed twice, once on Dec. 7 and once on the 13th. This answer is the same as answer 3 in the previous response to letters. RV Strong Coop required TRUE CLUCK wants people to have success with chickens and wants chickens to be safe. The workshops noted above stress sturdy coop design. One argument for making chickens legal is to provide the incentive to spend good money on coop design instead of doing the minimum because the birds might be taken away at any time.

41) RV This letter was printed twice, once on Dec. 7 and once on the 13th. This answer is the same as answer 4 in the previous response to letters. Feed draws rats TRUE Food draws rats. Food that people leave out for their cats attracts rats, fruit on citrus, avocado and other fruit trees attracts rats, and food scattered from bird feeders attracts rats, but we don’t prohibit outdoor feeding of four-legged pets, growing fruit trees or stocking bird feeders. The proposed code requires people to keep chicken food in secure containers and that is only common sense. Unlike many residents, chicken keepers are likely to to vigilant about rats and other scrounging omnivores.

42)RV This letter was printed twice, once on Dec. 7 and once on the 13th. This answer is the same as answer 5 in the previous response to letters. Loose chickens could cause squabbles PARTIALLY TRUE Chickens, like dogs, cats and most other pets other than fish, can occasionally "get out" and leave the owner's premises. If there is pre-existing tension between neighbors, we agree that a loose pet can trigger a border skirmish incident. But lost dog and cat signs are common decorations on phone poles in the city and lost pets frequently result in neighbors collaborating to locate, catch and return the wayward animal. Such good neighbor initiatives build, rather than weaken, neighbor relations.

43) RV This letter was printed twice, once on Dec. 7 and once on the 13th. This answer is the same as answer 6 in the previous response to letters. Not pleasant odor SUBJECTIVE? Dry chickens don't really have much of a discernable odor, just as many dry dogs don't smell too much.

44)RV This letter was printed twice, once on Dec. 7 and once on the 13th. This answer is the same as answer 7 in the previous response to letters. Don’t know how the city "fathers" can consider chickens RHETORICAL The city commissioners directed staff to work on this because an organized group of responsible residents presented a reasonable case that they should. That would seem to be an obligation of a government.

45)RV This letter was printed twice, once on Dec. 7 and once on the 13th. This answer is the same as answer 8 in the previous response to letters. Eggs are $1.50 a dozen FALSE Eggs are not being sold at a fixed cost of $1.50 a dozen. Some chain pharmacies frequently advertise 99¢/dozen eggs while Whole Foods would be happy to sell you some at prices approaching $5.00 a dozen. People who want chickens for their eggs don't simply want eggs, they want to know both what went into their eggs and how the chickens that produced those eggs were kept. See a recent Herald Tribune Article regarding egg safety and bungled federal oversight.

45)RV Chickens are a Fad QUESTIONABLE See for more on the fad argument see Herald Tribune Covers City Planning Board on Chickens

One more critical letter appeared on January 1, which prompted this response.