The Great Escape!

[errantember]

I'm going out of town to help my Mom, who is having foot surgery, for a few days this Thursday. After getting my four chickens and a coop for the price of gas, I've been working like a madman trying to get everything prepped so my roommate won't have to do shitloads of stuff while I'm gone. I've managed to repair and upgrade the existing coop, which had some holes, one of which became large enough for the chickens to escape. I think Louie, my puggle, probably pried it open.

This led to the happy surprise of finding the chickens and the dogs after they had peacefully co-mingled for what was probably several hours, greatly accelerating my Please Don't Eat The Chickens Training Program. The two chickens I got from spottedvasa generally tend to stay in the coop where they have spent most of their lives, but the newer two get the Wandering Jones and head on out at the earliest opportunity. It would rock if we can get to a point where the chickens can free-range in the fenced back yard during the day, and (preferably automatically) be locked into the coop at night. The best part about their out-of-house adventures came when, after leaving them out until dark to see if they would return to the coop, they were instead found roosting on top of...the grill. :)

For now, they will be in the coop until I come back early next week.

To make all this easier on my roommate, I completed an automatic feeder that hold 30 lbs of feed, and an automatic waterer that hooks up to a hose and uses a toilet valve to refill when it gets below a certain level. Both seem to be working fairly well, although it took an *entire* *fucking* *day* and *four* trips to Home Depot (plus two to Wal-Mart) to get the waterer finished.

The chickens have kicked out about 7 eggs so far, and I expect to see more tomorrow before I leave.

Comments

[virgogrrl77.livejournal.com]

pictures? :)

[errantember.livejournal.com]

No time right now. Maybe when I get back.

[austingoddess.livejournal.com]

Exciting!

Do be aware that, legally, your property is only good for 2 chickens and they are supposed to be penned 24/7. To quote the code enforcement guy for north Austin, "chickens get out in the road more than you think." Just FYI.

[errantember.livejournal.com]

It's interesting to hear that, since it's different from what I've heard from any other source. I've heard a maximum of 10 chickens, though I can't find *any* specific numeric restrictions in the legal codes here:

http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Texas/austin/thecodeofthecityofaustintexas?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:austin_tx$anc=

This is the law I'm going by, although there are some others that cover chickens:

3-2-16 ENCLOSURE FOR FOWL.

An enclosure used to keep two or more fowl must be located at least 50 feet from a residence or business, excluding the residence or business of the fowl’s owner or handler.

[austingoddess.livejournal.com]

And now I see this email.

I talked with 311 and code enforcement quite throroughly about keeping chickens in the city of Austin. The law says:
1) the coop has to be 50 feet from the "residences" of anyone else. Code enforcement said 'residences' was generally enforced as bedrooms, not the edge of the property or house. If you've got 50 ft from anybody else's bedrooms to the coop as the chicken flies, you can have 10 chickens. If you do not have 50 ft, you can legally keep 2 no matter what.
2) chickens cannot free range. They have to be kept enclosed at all times. I asked about clipping wings, and the code enforcement guy laughed. Apparently it's been thought of already. :)
3) if the roosters become what neighbors consider a noise nuisance, they'd have to go.
There's also some specific rules about slaughtering that I cannot recall at the moment.

[errantember.livejournal.com]

I just checked the plat map for my property, and it seems to be at least 100 ft on each side. The chicken coop is in the corner furthest from both neighboring houses, so I'm pretty sure it's 50 feet from any bedrooms. I'll double-check with a physical measurement when I get ready to build the Chicken Yurt, winner of the Austin Funky Chicken Coop Tour Best Of Award for 2010.

[errantember.livejournal.com]

In general though, the plan is to test how things go with them confined to the back yard during the day. If they stay in, I'll keep doing it unless neighbors complain, and, in any case, will have a nice enclosure for the 10 chickens we will eventually have on the property.

[austingoddess.livejournal.com]

You have 50 feet of clearance between the coop and the bedrooms of all your neighbors? Neat!

[errantember.livejournal.com]

I haven't measured it, but I'm pretty sure I do. I live on a corner lot, and the coop is at the furthest point from the two neighbors.

[austingoddess.livejournal.com]

Cool! Quiche every day for you!

[gailmom.livejournal.com]

yay! That's so exciting. :)


(wanna come finish our gorram chicken pen next? *wink*)

[errantember.livejournal.com]

I'll be in D/FW. :) And you'll have taping to do.

[gailmom.livejournal.com]

ah...but only if we actually GET tape....did you mail it yet, cuz we don't actually have it yet... :(

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Actually, leaving on time for D/FW was more important than mailing it, but I brought it with me and will mail it tomorrow after my Mom is situated.

[goudananda.livejournal.com]

I'd love to come by and check out your setup sometime. Generally go with caution about the neighbors but I'd say a friendly hello with a dozen or so eggs usually make them think kindly to your birds. You can ask them if there's ever any issue to please let you know immediately.