Submitted by leavingthecold t3_10fg98s in providence

Does anyone know if there are city ordinances or laws that prohibit you from raising chickens in your backyard?

I know a guy that has a couple but he also lives in a shitty area of Providence with not only the chicken in the morning but the loud music from neighbors. Not sure if any real patrolling enforcement in his area.

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MarlKarx-1818 t1_j4wpt4l wrote

I live in Elmhurst and someone a few blocks away has chickens. They're always getting out too

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Educational_Leg36 t1_j4wv4yk wrote

You need a min 800sqft fenced in area with a chicken coop for a maximum of 6 chickens, absolutely no roosters.

The shitty parts of providence doesn't have Karen's like the good parts, so you won't have animal control called on you, so you can have more and have a smaller keep, living in the shitty parts of providence also let's you have roosters. You could even play music outside for them.

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Kelruss t1_j4wv9or wrote

Sec. 4-37.3. - Maximum chicken hens allowed. The owner of any dwelling may keep or permit to be kept on the lot containing the dwelling, one (1) hen per eight hundred (800) square feet of total lot area, with a maximum of six (6) on any lot, provided that:

(1) No person shall keep any rooster;

(2) All chicken hens must be provided with both a hen house (coop) and a fenced outdoor enclosure, subject to the following provisions: a. The hen house must be covered, predator resistant, and well-ventilated; b. The hen house must provide a minimum of two (2) square feet per chicken; c. The hen house must be kept clean, dry, and sanitary at all times; manure must be composted in enclosed bins; d. The hen house must be located upon a permeable surface that prevents waste run-off; e. The hen house must be located at least twenty (20) feet from any dwelling; f. The fenced outdoor enclosure must adequately contain the chicken hens; g. The fenced outdoor enclosure must be kept clean and sanitary at all times; manure must be composted in enclosed bins; h. The hen house must provide the chicken hens with adequate protection from the elements and inclement weather and provide for the chicken hens good health and prevent any unnecessary or unjustified suffering; and i. The owner of the hen(s) must be a resident of said dwelling.

(3) No hen house (coop) shall be built onto any shared fence;

(4) No chicken hens may be kept or raised within the dwelling.

(5) All chicken hens must be fed subject to the requirements of section 12-118, and feed must be stored securely;

(6) No chicken hen may be slaughtered except subject to the requirements of section 10-104 et seq. and of the zoning ordinance;

(7) All chicken hens are subject to the nuisance provisions set forth in section 4-47, subsections (2) and (3); and

(8) All chicken hens must be confined between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.

As used herein, "lot" shall mean one (1) or more parcels of land which are contiguous and are under the same ownership according to the tax assessor's records and which are zoned residential or are residential as a legal nonconforming use pursuant to the zoning ordinance.

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Kelruss t1_j4wyf75 wrote

I’ll be honest, reading this through made me want to get a tape measure out and check out where I could put a chicken coop and figure out how many chickens I could keep.

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Status_Silver_5114 t1_j4wzjhx wrote

There’s chickens behind the rochambeau library (in the house behind that is). Not library property.

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[deleted] t1_j4wzkbs wrote

Some chickens and loud music and you too can have a “shitty neighborhood”.

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Educational_Leg36 t1_j4x496u wrote

Honestly the ordinance is written more to prevent people from owning chickens without actually banning them.

To actually own a chicken and have it be "happy" you'll want for 1 chicken per about 100 square feet of free roaming space. Then have a ratio of 1.5chickens per 100sqft. You'll also want to have them free roam in dirt or grass or actual natural flooring as it allows them to forage. Chicken coops are simply a nesting/sleeping space, nothing crazy. Some milk crates in a corner with a roof and some branches Up top to let them perch and sleep. You'll want to cut the flight feathers off to prevent them from flying away, but after a few months of feeding and providing space nesting they will always come back after a while. You can play and socialize with them enough where they will recognize you and return affection. Some people do keep chickens and hens as pets with diapers indoors too.

Biggest thing especially in the city is keeping predators away. Rats, cats, possums, raccoons all will get Into your backyard and have a feast. And with how cheap chick's are or used to be, people can carelessly keep buying more and keep feeding the rats basically.

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Mountain_Bill5743 t1_j4xc330 wrote

One thing to think about is that chicken feed/coops brings the rats/mice which some neighborhoods in the city have an abundance of.

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Kelruss t1_j4xhc8i wrote

I mean, they were banned prior to this being passed in 2016, and the ordinance was passed with the support of people who wanted to own chickens, so I guess I’m skeptical that it’s written more to prevent people from owning chickens.

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Mountain_Bill5743 t1_j4xr6ee wrote

I mean, the west end has RATS. Like, funneling through your garden at noon and avoiding them on your bike level rats. I have not seen this level of rodent ambivalence to this degree in every neighborhood (but it exists in some and North Providence loves to discuss its rat problem).

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sandsonik t1_j4xx4uo wrote

Someone near me is definitely violating the rooster rule!

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Trawetser t1_j4zebbm wrote

It adds a bunch of hoops to jump through so that you really only end up with people owning chickens that are serious about it and will actually care for them.

That's my take on it, anyway

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Far-Soup5169 t1_j5kwiee wrote

I lived next door to an “illegal” chicken coop.

They were lazy as hell, and would just dump gallon buckets of feed once per week. Ended up with massive rat infestation.

Every car at my place, ended up with damage from rats chewing wires. I had to scrub away the charred carcass of a few that got into my matters wires.

Enforcement wouldn’t do a single thing, in the two years I was there.

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