Sarasota CIty Staff Proposes Backyard Chicken Approach

297 days after CLUCK submitted its Zoning Text Amendment request, the City of Sarasota planning staff has responded. Taking the advice of City Attorney Robert Fournier, the City is contemplating implementing the backyard hen provision as part of the City Code, rather than as a Zoning Text Amendment.

Overall, it appears staff has done a good job, keeping things simple and straightforward and generally attempting to follow our request. In addition staff has added some provisions in response to concerns voiced earlier at a CCNA (Coalition of City Neighborhoods Association) meeting.

The gist of the City's work was presented to those assembled at tonight's CLUCK meeting (which featured some inspirational coop designs by Kate Adams and Ira Klineschmidt) and the group was enthusiastic about the long-awaited forward movement.

The one discrepancy that perplexed the CLUCK audience was why the City had reduced the maximum number of hens by 50% from 6 to 4. Ira's simplest coop provided a dramatic argument for six chickens. The rolling "chicken tractor" costs $300. With 6 birds that's a significant $50 per chicken. But if you are only housing four birds the cost per bird jumps a whopping 50% to $75 per bird.

Hopefully in the coming week, the City can explain its thinking and we can make our case regarding why 6 is a more far reasonable number than 4.

Please mark your calendars for Monday October 4th, when we'll be comparing different chicken breeds and working more on our strategy for adoption of the backyard chicken provisions in the City.

The City actually has two similar options. The first is reproduced below.

OPTION 1:

CITY CODE, CHAPTER 8 - ANIMALS

Sec. 8-2. Keeping livestock and certain animals prohibited.

(a) Except for a retail establishment engaging in the lawful sale of animals and Sarasota Jungle Gardens,

it shall be unlawful for any person to keep, harbor, raise or maintain the following:

(1) Any livestock;

(2) Any poultry;, except chickens being kept, harbored, raised, or maintained as accessory to a

residential single family structure, subject to the following restrictions:

a. No more than four (4) chickens may be kept, with roosters prohibited,

b. No person shall slaughter any chickens,

c. The chickens shall be provided with a covered enclosure and must be kept in the

covered enclosure or a fenced enclosure at all times. No covered enclosure or fenced

enclosure shall be located in the front yard nor shall it be closer than ten (10) feet to

any property line of an adjacent property,

d. All enclosures for the keeping of chickens shall be so constructed and maintained as to

prevent rodents or other pests from being harbored underneath, within, or within the

walls of the enclosure and to protect the chickens from predators. Enclosures shall be

kept in neat condition, including provision of clean, dry bedding materials and regular

removal of waste materials,

e. All feed and other items associated with the keeping of chickens that are likely to

attract or to become infested with or infected by rodents or other pests shall be kept in

secure containers or otherwise protected so as to prevent rodents and other pests from

gaining access to or coming into contact with them;

(3) Any rabbits, except those being kept, harbored, raised or maintained:

a. As pets within a completely enclosed dwelling or detached garage capable of housing

at least two cars;

b. In an outside enclosure, coop or pen, up to a maximum of two rabbits.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) above, the city manager or his designee may, by special permit, authorize the keeping harboring, raising or maintaining of livestock, poultry or rabbits (not within a dwelling) within the city limits. A special permit may only be issued for a specified limited period of time and shall set forth such conditions or requirements as shall be deemed necessary to mitigate the potential adverse effects upon neighboring properties. In determining whether a special permit shall be issued, the city manager or his designee shall consider the nature of the request, the potential benefit to the city or the general public which may result if the special permit is granted, and any adverse effects which neighboring properties may experience if the special permit is granted.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subjection (a) above, private restrictions on the use of property and keeping of animals shall remain enforceable and take precedence over the standards herein. Private restrictions include but are not limited to deed restrictions, condominium master deed restrictions, neighborhood association by-laws, and covenant deeds. The interpretation and enforcement of the private restriction is the sole responsibility of the private parties involved.

13 Flocks Keeping Sarasota Safe

Sarasota Herald Tribune reports on how sentinel chicken flocks scattered around the county help form an early detection system for mosquito borne illness.

Three Reasons Backyard Chickens Lay Safer Eggs

You've probably been reading about the half billion suspect eggs that have been circulating in America's food supply and wondering " What does that mean for backyard chickens?"

It means 1) Backyard chickens should be encouraged because they are less likely to have problems with Salmonella bacteria and 2) basic sanitation is always appropriate in any animal operation.

Why would backyard chickens be less problematic?

First, because they are healthier to begin with. If you've ever seen the pictures of caged layers, your aware that close confinement is not producing healthy birds, then

Second, when disease does break out, it can spread to hundreds or thousands of birds in those confined operation, which can put millions of consumers at risk, so even if all birds were equally healthy to begin with, smaller, distributed flocks would pose less risk, and

Third, according the the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center, Salmonella bacteria

Salmonella bacteria survive well in wet environments shielded from sunlight.

Survive well between pH 4 to 8 and temperature between 8∞C and 45∞C

Since salmonella are facultative anaerobic bacteria, they survive well under low oxygen tension, such as that found in manure slurry pits

Salmonella is destroyed by the drying effects of wind, by the bactericidal effect of UV irradiation from the sun, and by disinfectant agents, such as chlorine solutions, iodines, quarternary ammoniums, and phenolics

So birds and coops that have access to sunlight are less likely to support conditions that keep Salmonella viable.

Don't believe me? Check out this graphic from the Humane Society:

So if you want healthier, more likely to be disease-free eggs, work to promote backyard chicken keeping and ending battery cage layer operations.

As noted in the second paragraph, merely having backyard chickens is not enough to ensure maximum safety. For best management guidelines on backyard flocks, please see the Center For Disease Control's publication dealing with In-town Flocks.

Mad City Chickens Documentary this Thursday Aug 5

Come join us Thursday August 5th for a screening of "Mad City Chickens" and discussion of the next phase of making Sarasota safe for backyard hens.

The meeting is scheduled from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Mad City Chickens is a 80 minute documentary profiling people who keep backyard chickens in Madison Wisconsin. Its a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical look at the people who keep urban chickens in their backyards. From experts and authors to families and businessmen (and women) —it’s a humorous and heartfelt trip through the world of backyard chicken keeping. The movie will start at around 6:15. This film has great info on nutritional content of backyard eggs, the real threat of bird flu, and profiles one family from the decision to get chickens through the arrival of chicks in a box and the adjustments they make.

After the film (figure 7:45) we'll review the status of our twin campaigns to legalize backyard hens in both the City of Sarasota and Sarasota County. Things are ramping up in the city and we'll be needing volunteers to get active in the next month or so. If you are serious about changing the laws, please try to attend this meeting. We are on the move.

REFRESHMENTS will be served!!

Location	Sarasota County Extension Office (conference room) 6700 Clark Road, Twin Lakes Park Sarasota, FL

For movie trailers and more info: http://www.tarazod.com/filmsmadchicks2.html

If you are a Facebook user, and haven't already joined the Sarasota C.L.U.C.K. facebook group, please do so:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=118190386787

Debunking the Predator Argument

One of objections to backyard chickens is the fear that they will increase the number of obnoxious opossums, raccoons, and rats.

The increased predator concern is common, predictable and irrational. Every neighborhood in Sarasota is crawling at night with raccoons, roof (black) rats, opossums, etc. They are eating garbage in garbage cans, cat food left outdoors, fallen fruit, and "compost" that is little more than people dumping food scraps outside in a pile. Raccoons work over fish ponds, pulling out fish and tadpoles. Some people actually leave food out for the raccoons, which can carry rabies. If you don't believe rats are already omnipresent, take a walk around any mall and you're likely to see numerous black plastic rat traps that proliferate without any chickens to support them.

Most people are blissfully unaware of all this wild nightlife, and if they were, they would probably try to forget. The point is most neighbors have little awareness of and no inclination to do anything about these night-time omnivores.

Chicken keepers, on the other hand, are passionately motivated to monitor and manage these animals, which once they learn about a food source keep coming back. C.L.U.C.K. is committed to providing prospective chicken-keepers with information about predator-resistant coops, but people who take shortcuts will quickly learn about any shortcomings of their coop design and they will be the people live-trapping predators and calling animal control to come pick them up at $20 a pop.

Yes, it costs $20 to have animal control come pick up a live-trapped animal. Expensive, but there are two reasons why chicken keepers go with live trapping. First, it is the humane thing to do -- secondly, it is a low risk strategy if you catch the wrong target species.

Six chickens is not going to support a population of raccoons for very long, and after the first hen goes, the owner will be obsessively on the case to protect the remaining birds. It can be argued that the best way to reduce night predators would be to increase the number of people keeping chickens.

Snakes are similar, but generally more of a daytime issue. Like the rats, raccoons and opossums, they are already out there. No native snake is going to bother anything larger than a pullet. The notion that the snake population will measurably increase as a result of neighborhood chickens is another misplaced concern.

If you want some advice about local coop design, write to sarasotacluck at gmail.com for a draft document.

Chickens in....... Lakewood Ranch!?

City of Sarasota residents who want their children to have a better idea where food comes from will soon be able to drive to Lakewood Ranch to see a hen house. According to a recent Sarasota Herald Tribune article, Lakewood Ranch is adding a community "SmartFarm" at the entrance to a Pat Neal residential development and the farm will include a hen house.

We didn't see that coming.

While one Smartfarm is not the same as allowing chickens at Lakewood Ranch homes, it reflects an awareness of local food initiatives we have not seen here in the City.

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