Pets with “BENEFITS” in our neighborhood!
Reading and listening with interest to the many comments on the now great ‘Berlin Chickens as Pets” debacle nowhere have I found listed the true benefits of owning a couple of laying hens. I think perhaps it’s time to learn some facts about backyard chicken culture.
1. Chickens lay eggs – a noted source of high quality protein in the human diet.
2. After being cracked open, eggshells may go right into the compost pile or bin – thereby decomposing to offer excellent soil amendment!
3. Chicken manure is also an excellent soil amendment for the home garden – both for flowers and vegetables.
4. Chickens eat bugs and worms – offering an effective and natural, larva and mature insect control.
Does your dog or cat do this? No? Well, neither does mine. He is cute and cuddly (at times) and he’s loyal beyond measure. Yet, having raised both chickens and dogs I’ve found they both require about the same amount of care – feeding, watering, containment, proper waste disposal, etc.
Recently, someone mentioned that ‘bird flu’ was a factor…not so! I will quote the following from the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog – http://www.murraymcmurrayhatchery.com -
IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT AVIAN INFLUENZA (THE BIRD FLU)
H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (also know as “bird flu”) is not in the United States and never has been. Avian Influenza is not passed from the hen to the embryo in the egg. A baby chick hatching from an egg does not carry the disease.
You can NOT get avian influenza from properly handled and cooked food. Microorganisms of all kinds are destroyed when the product reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. McMurray Hatchery is concerned about all poultry diseases not only Avian Influenza. Here at the hatchery we have very stringent biosecurity procedures, vaccination program, and testing to insure you receive healthy chicks.
You can help by following biosecurity guidelines recommended by the United State
Department of Agriculture. For more information click on this link:
Biosecurity For The Birds.
OK, so what’s this fuss all about? Having been present at the recent Berlin Board of Zoning Appeals hearing whereby a resident of Ann Drive was taken to task by some neighbors all I can determine is that ‘neighborliness’ or really, the lack thereof, was the contributing factor. Apparently, the noise from several types of poultry – a couple of chickens, ducks and possibly geese owned by one neighbor, squawked too much – often disrupting the sleep of other neighbors. To my recollection, except for my barnyard boss, a nasty old rooster, the ‘girls’ made little sound except for a brief protest when laying their daily egg…frankly, I would too!
The way too rapid, knee jerk response to this complaint is a proposed change to an ordinance of the Berlin Town Code abolishing all domestic poultry from within the Town limits – our neighborhood. No, is what I say – that’s plain silly. Am I going to attempt to abolish all pet dogs that bark in the night or local cats that dig (mess) in my gardens? Hardly! Let’s please take another look at this over reaction and try and behave like real neighbors by finding an equitable solution that doesn’t impinge on everyone wanting to enjoy these ‘Pets with Benefits’.
If you are interested in this debate please attend the regular meeting of the Berlin Mayor and Council at Town Hall on Monday (November 8th) beginning at 7 pm.
I am the Ann Drive resident who is fighting to keep my pet birds, and I can tell you that this whole mess is actually a neighbor vendetta rather than legitimate noise complaints. To begin with, the people who are complaining are not my closest neighbors. Those who live on each side of me and directly in back of me have told me that my birds never make enough noise to disturb them (I’ve asked them about this several times), so it’s a real mystery as to why would it bother anyone who lives two or three houses down, or at the end of the street. Also the person who cuts my grass didn’t even know there were birds behind my fence. I’ve had these birds on my property for the past two years and NOT ONE PERSON has ever approached me directly with a complaint of any kind, not until the night of my hearing. I don’t know about you, but if noise from a neighbor’s house was keeping me awake at all hours of the night I sure wouldn’t wait TWO YEARS before complaining about it! These people could have easily contacted me directly if they wanted to, as they’ve been watching me for quite some time and have seen me working in my yard to correct the numerous code violations brought on in part by their snooping around my property. And yes, I was well aware that my property needed some work but honestly knew nothing about codes or code violations until this ordeal (too busy working and living my life). To make matters worse, I’m now considered a non-resident because I stay with my 89-year old mother during the night-time hours. Otherwise she would be in a nursing home due to several years of blindness and multiple strokes. I actually spend as much time at my Ann Drive residence as anywhere else, regardless of what anyone says. There are no rats on my property; the only vermin are the humans who can’t read signs. My birds are properly housed and cared for, including routine veterinary care. They have a better life than I do. It’s pathetic that the town government has not only sided with these neighborhood bullies, but have actually become bullies themselves. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I know it’s somewhat lengthy, but there is more than one side to this story. The treatment I’ve received is beyond appalling, and I really have had enough of always being made to look like the bad guy.