No, I’m kidding. I actually applied for a license to keep more than 3 chickens within city limits and I got inspected today. Being a sort of nervous, want-to-do-good-paranoid-about-getting-in-trouble sort of person, my heart just about went through the roof when I saw the pickup (with lights–but not on of course) pull up in front of our house. And of COURSE the chicken door was open because Francis did the chores this morning and the kids can’t seem to go in the door without letting chickens get out. That is a no-no in the city. If you have chickens wandering around your yard, you are suppose to be with them, which I obviously wasn’t as I answered the door for the inspections guy. We didn’t have time to put them in again because we were super late for school. Luckily for us, it is cold as hell around here and even with the door to the fenced area open, the chickens were huddled together in the coop. I hurriedly confessed that we let them out accidentally this morning and that I knew I wasn’t suppose to. ”No problem,” Mr. Super Nice Inspector said. ”We are pretty laid back as long as we can’t hear or smell them when approaching the property”.
The inspection was great though. The guy was completely nice, not upset that I had EIGHT chickens (by the way, did I mention that I now have EIGHT chickens?! That is for another post.), and quite complimentary about my coop. He said that I obviously had room for more and I should just let them know if I want to get more. No thanks, I said. Even I know when enough is enough. He also said that he could tell that I take care of them, that the area is clean and looks free of stink or rats, and that he is glad that I have names for all of them. That is a sign that I care for my chickens well. So, all in all, a really good experience, and I should get my license within the week.
It is interesting to me that the City of Portland is fine with chickens, and my hometown of Sheridan is not. I have my theories that people in Sheridan, being country people, are only familiar with TONS of chickens so they have no real idea of the miniscule sound and smell present with less than 10 chickens. When they think “chickens”, they think of fifty chickens, or one hundred and fifty chickens. The Sheridan Sun recently quoted a city counselor as saying that a neighborhood with chickens would be “unlivable”, which is about the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, especially as I live on a block with more chickens than people.
Did I mention that I love Portland, Oregon?
2 Comments, Comment or Ping
Glad your inspection went well! Your post title had me really worried! And I cannot BELIEVE that the guy’s name is Dave Thomas. Did you ask him how his daughter, Wendy, is doing?
December 7th, 2009
I shudder to think of how that would go down here. As opposed to the US, they don’t take regulations in the business world that seriously. But there are NO exceptions to the rules with regard to administration of all government operations here. If you are 1 km over the speed limit, you will be sent a ticket in the mail. If you ride the tram and have a valid ticket, that you left at home – doesn’t matter. There is no recourse.
I can’t imagine the rules around having animals here.
December 8th, 2009
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