[Massplanners] Rooster question

Tue Aug 17 16:55:57 EDT 2021

On Kaua’i, where I’m from, roosters and chickens run wild.  No predators for them and no amount of zoning regulation could control them.

Imaikalani Aiu
Town Planner
Town of Weston
781-786-5065
www.weston.org/TownPlanner<http://www.weston.org/TownPlanner>

From: MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces at masscptc.org> On Behalf Of Christine Madore
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2021 3:20 PM
To: Liz Volchok <lvolchok at ihtmv.org>
Cc: Massachusetts Planners <MassPlanners at masscptc.org>
Subject: Re: [Massplanners] Rooster question

who could forget Salem's Chicken Gate of 2014...
https://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/judge-sides-with-chickens-in-appeal/article_4334f672-8bc6-596d-aef4-cb2673b6f144.html<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.salemnews.com%2fnews%2flocal_news%2fjudge-sides-with-chickens-in-appeal%2farticle_4334f672-8bc6-596d-aef4-cb2673b6f144.html&c=E,1,X6q-hZF6dTZ1PvzmFin_TP3kt8EreMyzLHTpSxbkL1svjTHRatzHb8JmqrbPnaQ32LxZDsrLlemXH20HgSQzMcN3kMbSq9SfjFaWOPezEK3P8xK1&typo=1>

Our zoning ordinance prohibits roosters but hens are okay as long as they're outside in a coop.

Bonus: Pickle Gate of 2018:
https://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/farms-pickle-business-draws-hearing-fire/article_0eb7cc33-155d-54f6-adb2-b5c2b4db5f1e.html<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.salemnews.com%2fnews%2flocal_news%2ffarms-pickle-business-draws-hearing-fire%2farticle_0eb7cc33-155d-54f6-adb2-b5c2b4db5f1e.html&c=E,1,zKjWPSXNPgFihuxNrR2FywXUFKe4fMDFmmH447A0wa8EJbAnOt6kMBKnNRzgt5jZ18JvzjAm2RYSjQ9-Em1YMOj4GNPP1EUTCQo587-CtFKjw39TSkwuUP_h1E_b&typo=1>

On Tue, Aug 17, 2021 at 3:13 PM Liz Volchok <lvolchok at ihtmv.org<mailto:lvolchok at ihtmv.org>> wrote:
Roosters don't make less noise than dogs or some cats even. It's a pretty unfair bias that I hope more people fight against.

On Tue, Aug 17, 2021 at 1:51 PM Jonathan Kranz <jonkranz at kranzcom.com<mailto:jonkranz at kranzcom.com>> wrote:
Dear Colleagues,

If a town imposes regulations against roosters, could that town be described as “Cock Blocked”? (Asking for a friend.)

Best wishes,

Jonathan

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Jonathan Kranz
(978) 391-4595
jonkranz at kranzcom.com<mailto:jonkranz at kranzcom.com>
www.kranzcom.com<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.kranzcom.com&c=E,1,BBqkm-MngwXWOi9yumw9nAYzu0uYW5EpU0SbsxUsRA-SY2hn0-IWUXq0XGSwsG-xzPq2vUQNfZEdNFzMgGVFjqz2oCayoaCbpmvzedCiXCp9o3pcZM0,&typo=1>
46 Washington St., Unit 2
Ayer, MA  01432

PS  Here's an excerpt from my 2011 "Zoning and Planning Law Report Awards" published by Thomson Reuters annually for the last 26 years:

The Let's Play Chicken Award goes to Willard, Missouri for issuing Mr. Mello an order to remove the 20 chickens and that very happy single rooster within 30 days, because apparently the city ordinance only allows farm animals to be raised on residential property of was 10 acres or larger. Mr. Mello lives on three-quarters of an acre.

Meanwhile, two aldermen in the city are rethinking prior rejected proposals that would have allowed three chickens and no roosters. Mr. Mello is holding out for six chickens and no roosters. As Mr. Mello's nine-year-old son Jacob says "The neighborhood dogs are much louder than the chickens."

This ratio of 20 chickens and one rooster brings to mind the psychology of sex and The Coolidge Effect as described by Psychology Today:

Scientists call the tendency to tire of a mate with whom one sexually satiates oneself, while mechanically perking up for a new one, the Coolidge Effect. They have observed this phenomenon widely among mammals, including females. Some female rodents, for example, flirt<http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/flirting> a lot more—arching in inviting displays—with unfamiliar partners<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2fpubmed%2f3408449&c=E,1,QIf_CEZAQnGrJimQOPymV6qpJYwRO-wqfLhpw1-xtixumL0uqfbEYBdZkAOp31fktjHJ2f6GrYC_BPwqmXpjb6dGgVu-TWYvPxjF8unW&typo=1> than with those with which they've already copulated. In keeping with this phenomenon, when couples divorce<http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/divorce> because their sex lives have gone out of sync, the formerly uninterested spouse is often startled by a raging libido when a new lover enters the picture.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cupids-poisoned-arrow/200907/what-if-she-were-always-in-the-mood

The term was coined in 1955 by Ethologist<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethologist> Frank A. Beach<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_A._Beach> at the suggestion of a student.  It comes from this wonderful old joke about President Coolidge, “Cool Calvin” as we New Englanders so fondly call him from his campaign slogan: “Keep Cool with Coolidge:”
The President and Mrs. Coolidge were being shown [separately] around an experimental government farm. When [Mrs. Coolidge] came to the chicken yard she noticed that a rooster was mating very frequently. She asked the attendant how often that happened and was told, “Dozens of times each day.” Mrs. Coolidge said, “Tell that to the President when he comes by.” Upon being told, President asked, “Same hen every time?” The reply was, “Oh, no, Mr. President, a different hen every time.” President: “Tell that to Mrs. Coolidge.”
Dewsbury, Donald A. (2000) "Frank A. Beach, Master Teacher," Portraits of Pioneers in Psychology, Volume 4, p269-281
What Do You Do With Evicted Chickens Award goes to Winder City, Georgia which took on the chickens in residential zones problem early in 2011. The city’s initiative would allow 12 chickens per acre and has had ample public support with 78% of respondents saying they did not object to the chickens (the local KFC franchise was not allowed to vote). Only three people spoke in opposition at the public hearing. Still, the planning commission recommended denying recommended against changing the law. As city planner Larry Lucas explained: "Ultimately, the planning and zoning commission voted not to change the ordinance. They felt like the benefit of the few folks who saw that this was not a major disruption to their neighborhood's character were outweighed by the commitment of expensive would take to enforce the ordinance."  The most recent information is that the Council rejected the ordinance.
The much-sought-after Micromanagement Award goes to Hopewell Township, New Jersey which this year adopted an ordinance that regulates when chickens and roosters can hook up in henhouses. Roosters must first demonstrate that they are disease free. The will be allowed in the henhouse only 10 days a year because mature roosters are too noisy. The ordinance actually provides if a  rooster gets a little too noisy over his latest conquest he can be banned from the property for up to two years, so the word around the henhouses is keep it down and be discreet.

Back to the What Do You Do With Evicted Chickens Award, apparently, there is an unintended consequence of banning chickens already kept on residential properties – there are no shelters. In the City of Auburn, Georgia, and Barrow County, Georgia as a whole, there is no place to put the homeless chickens. We all know about animal rescue operations and have seen them for dogs, cats, llamas, and rabbits but chickens?  We are pleased to report that an Internet search of the term "chicken rescue" yields Chicken Run Rescue - “Chicken Run Rescue is the only urban chicken rescue of its kind…” which just goes show you there’s a website every cause.[i]  At Chicken Run Rescue, you can even learn why chickens make great  companion animals:

  *   Chickens are highly intelligent, gentle, vivacious individuals who form strong lifelong emotional bonds with each other as well as other species.
  *   They are warm and silky and lovely to hold.
  *   They are primarily ground dwelling birds who are very home and routine centered and can thrive in a space the size of a normal urban backyard and home. They can coexist happily with compatible dogs and cats and have similar life spans.
  *   Adopting a chicken will increase compassion and reduce violence in the world.

PetFinder.com<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fPetFinder.com&c=E,1,uShHdD2dEbDpzXaxxWOXvABtcN3MbdPufJb97zli6wBrLC_60DIGXUckyzYqZpNJ5_Kjkr8BRxy5NzH774wBZtZWVDD5BUHU29hd9A71w2jTFP-zuQ,,&typo=1&ancr_add=1> lists about two dozen chickens available for adoption.  Farm Animal Shelter (http://www.farmanimalshelters.org<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.farmanimalshelters.org&c=E,1,vhR6BPP2dUkWInoyEE8cn3kjNM4WM_Ag31_qg2O0eHnAICLZm2XvKApwVqR4NFdMU6yF9AvAk6DS4XzENtQtxhSRIMKy3i97n8vKPdK7mklnUQ,,&typo=1>) is an excellent resource for all types of farm animals.

The issue of raising chickens on residential properties has become of such national interest that of some of the leading academics in the field are writing on the subject, including the editor of this august publication.
See Patricia, Salkin, “Feeding the Locavores, One Chicken at a Time: Regulating Backyard Chickens,” http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1774023<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fpapers.ssrn.com%2fsol3%2fpapers.cfm%3fabstract_id%3d1774023&c=E,1,FumwauqAsCMGXSlXyWFIl_3LUw-OjcIqHIG59t0pADNaQUp1yLdWGuulQIdHnDbEzWMCASa3F7PDFLOWuXA2bMlKs1B5E0VDzN5hkagkKeUZtTJnry4,&typo=1>

________________________________

[i] http://www.brittonclouse.com/chickenrunrescue<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.brittonclouse.com%2fchickenrunrescue&c=E,1,8SiktAB3O-hAhC_iShJtQQ4735zsY8oHeYwDji_0gCsbPdETdNghJbUyUnIHpZfXwLTRqIo9MsU-Rcc3tOjMpbOhdV8AWVIIgaAoOUlsyB4etbg,&typo=1>

On Tue, Aug 17, 2021 at 1:32 PM Dwight Merriam <dwightmerriam at gmail.com<mailto:dwightmerriam at gmail.com>> wrote:
Some places ban them completely, only because they make noise...see pages 25-26 of this publication
https://business.ct.gov/-/media/DOAG/Commish_and_Gov/LivestockGuidanceBookWEB-002-FINAL.pdf<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fbusiness.ct.gov%2f-%2fmedia%2fDOAG%2fCommish_and_Gov%2fLivestockGuidanceBookWEB-002-FINAL.pdf&c=E,1,kzwFx6kdy4jm7mMnudRY_Tg-gSRaA5-vFuoyuFt7DLGHvVgtVZ_Vql9THh4PQOuR-1fjvSpBW_Ps3D8pleJd12u4gT6kLlg7pxo4uw9RrbYQARQvTST96-ZkTgI,&typo=1>

Regards,
Dwight

See also:  https://rc.com/publications/upload/AgriUse_Merriam.pdf<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2frc.com%2fpublications%2fupload%2fAgriUse_Merriam.pdf&c=E,1,9fIcMRbRKvN3hntUE8nVYtxOyJBsUA9oMO4aUux2CATg6jPAVC7C_fxXO1Iy0_VJlQoSNvLUfeSg6ycPBsrTW5H2oPzKldJgMrDRVfo8&typo=1>

Dwight Merriam, FAICP
dwightmerrima at gmail.com<mailto:dwightmerrima at gmail.com>

On Tue, Aug 17, 2021 at 11:15 AM Paul Dell'Aquila <psdplans at gmail.com<mailto:psdplans at gmail.com>> wrote:
Good morning -
I was wondering/hoping that someone out in MassPlanners Land had any recent experiences with regulating the number of roosters a residential property may have.
Thanks in advance,
Paul Dell'Aquila, AICP
Upton Town Planner
pdellaquila at uptonma.gov<mailto:pdellaquila at uptonma.gov>
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Liz Volchok, Project Manager
Pronouns: She/ Her/ Hers
Island Housing Trust
P.O. Box 779
West Tisbury, MA  02575
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lvolchok at ihtmv.org<mailto:lvolchok at ihtmv.org>
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