Garden City man's chickens could land him in jail!

**Zacha341** · May-03-13, 02:01 PM

Garden City man's chickens could land him in jail!

See video detailing the disgruntled neighbors complaint.

Read more: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/#ixzz2SG1umnal

**Honky Tonk** · May-03-13, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Garden City man's chickens could land him in jail!

See video detailing the disgruntled neighbors complaint.

Read more: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/#ixzz2SG1umnal

"Their argument is, well, a dog makes noise, too. I've never seen anybody put a leash on a chicken and walk it around the neighborhood."

You know, you just can't argue with sound logic like that.

**Zacha341** · May-03-13, 02:21 PM

Yeah, the video back and forth between the two neighbors is a hoot! The disgruntled neighbor states that Mr. Chicken is taking 'tax dollars' inappropriately [[like disability income or something). I thought that was weird.... Not a good time at all...

The chicken owner claims the chickens are his source of income? He says his chickens are quiet as he only has hens but I know roosters crow! Very early!

He eats and sells the eggs which would require a rooster somewhere right?

**Detroitnerd** · May-03-13, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

He is eats and sells the eggs which would require a rooster somewhere right?

No. Hens lay eggs whether they're fertilized or not. If you want chicks, though, you'll need a cock.

**Honky Tonk** · May-03-13, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Yeah, the video back and forth between the two neighbors is a hoot! The disgruntled neighbor states that Mr. Chicken is taking 'tax dollars' inappropriately [[like disability income or something). I thought that was weird.... Not a good time at all...

The chicken owner claims the chickens are his source of income? He says his chickens are quiet as he only has hens but I know roosters crow! Very early!

He is eats and sells the eggs which would require a rooster somewhere right?

After that, I'm going to quit bitching about living in Detroit.....

**DetroitPlanner** · May-03-13, 02:42 PM

I don't know much about chickens but if you look at the link I see him feeding what looks a lot like a couple of roosters.

**Honky Tonk** · May-03-13, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I don't know much about chickens but if you look at the link I see him feeding what looks a lot like a couple of roosters.

Uhhhhhhh.....

http://www.mypetchicken.com/about-ch...cken-pictures/

**Danny** · May-03-13, 02:49 PM

Let him raise his chickens. They not hurting anyone!

**douglasm** · May-03-13, 04:13 PM

If I'm reading the story correctly, Garden City does have an ordinance that prohibits "farm" animals, a common one for cities. I have no idea where the criminal case comes from [[it's a zoning issue) and I'm not a lawyer, but the Michigan Right to Farm act does NOT trump local zoning ordinances, so if he's operating a chicken operation in an area zoned residential, and was so zoned before he got his chickens, he's in violation.

Right To Farm acts in general have been set up to protect farmers in areas where residential areas have encroched on farming areas. For example, if a housing development buts up on an apple orchard, the residents can't sue because the orchardist is spraying his orchard at 3 in the morning, a common practice.

As to Danny's point, chickens DO smell if not taken care of. In a town near here, they passed an ordinance allowing urban chickens, and the back fence neighbor of my mother in law had a half a dozen of them. He didn't do proper cleanup, and her back yard was nearly unusable.

There's an interesting summary of court cases involving the Right To Farm law and lawsuits surrounding it done my Michigan State University. It might shed some light on the subject.

http://lu.msue.msu.edu/pamphlet/Blaw...01964-2006.pdf

**DetroitPlanner** · May-03-13, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Uhhhhhhh.....

http://www.mypetchicken.com/about-ch...cken-pictures/

I guess I don't get it. Chickens are Chickens, but Hens and Roosters are Males and Female Chickens, right? Or are all chickens females?

**compn** · May-03-13, 08:46 PM

female chickens = hens
male chickens = roosters

hens lay eggs almost every day. just like human women produce an egg every month.
neither require a male unless you want the egg fertilized to produce children.

what are they teaching kids in schools these days? something about storks??

i'm not sure who the biggest loser is in this story. the cops who are 'just following orders'? the mayor going against state law? the prosecutor who seems to be going for misconduct? the judge? or the neighbor who sounds like he has zero life of his own except being a huge pain?

dont get me wrong. i'm not keen on chickenman. but looking at his yard + house from the video, it looks well kept. if i had to pick who to live near , chickenman wins hands down vs crazy neighbor.

chickens making noise? i had to shut my door, theres been a dog barking for the last 6 hours. if my dog barks i bring him inside. i'd love if my neighbors had chickens! well, dunno about roosters haha.

**douglasm** · May-03-13, 09:00 PM

Compn.....
......note that the local police are NOT violating state law, as the law respects local zoning ordinances.

Damn. Maybe I've spent too much time on my local city council......

**Gistok** · May-03-13, 09:00 PM

Wait... his house and yard look OK?? Not from what I saw... no lawn... just dirt ground with straw strewn... a garage that hasn't been painted in 20 years... lots of odd items all over the back yard... and wood piles from the ground up... definitely a rat problem.

Now that said... I hope the guy does get to keep the chickens... but he doesn't have what appears to be a back yard... more like a barn yard....