This is our response to the Greeley city code division. We have also contacted our representative in our ward.
Greeley City Code Enforcement
1000 10th Street
Greeley, CO 80631
This letter is in response to a courtesy warning of a city code violation we received on 8/14/2009 at our property in Greeley. We believe there is an error in the violation and that we are not out of compliance. The warning says that we need to reduce our number of chickens from four to one because of a code under land use for commercial livestock. It states the land size that we need to raise “chickens, broiler & layer; rabbits” (18.58.030). However, these chickens are not used for commercial purposes and we do not have an agricultural business or farm of any sort. These chickens, our girls, are simply our pets, and are not kept for “economic (business) reasons”.
When we looked online for any restrictions on keeping pet chickens, we did not find any. In fact, we found that our girls would fall under pets as domesticated birds:
7.04.097 Domesticated animal. Domesticated animal means a pet or companion animal that is kept by humans for companionship, amusement or for the beauty of its appearance or utterances, rather than for economic reasons. A domesticated animal may include, but is not limited to, dogs, cats, fish, parrots, doves, cockatiels, budgies, cockatoos, finches, macaws, any other domesticated birds (except wild birds), nonpoisonous snakes under six (6) feet in length, rodents (including hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, gerbils, chinchillas, degus, flying squirrels and rats), sugar gliders, rabbits, ferrets and pot-bellied pigs. (Ord. 8, 2006 §1).
Rabbits (who are also listed under the 18.58.030 code as only allowing one per 1/10 acre), pigs (also under 18.58.030) and other animals listed above could be raised for either economic purposes or for pet purposes but are not restricted in number if they are pets. In our case, our girls, Henrietta, Salt, Football and Greenfoot, are raised as pets. There is no agricultural business involved and we are not breaking any animal code by responsibly raising them as such.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Cassie and Britton Kauffman
Very well put letter. Hope it works out for you!
Thanks, Cris! We’ll see…
Yes this is an excellent way to put things. Hope everything works out.
I love this blog and the cause. I thought you should network with the bizymoms Greeley community.
Good for you. Hope it works out.
Thank you so much. I can’t believe you have a blog on this subject. I live here in Greeley and want to raise a few backyard chickens and you are exactly the one I needed to hear from. Thanks for all your information 🙂
What ever came of this? Did u get to keep your chickens. I am currently fighting with the town on this same subject. just wondering if its worth the fight
Yes, we fought it and ultimately were able to keep our chickens. Since then we have moved to Puerto Rico, but it is worth the fight! Good luck.
Thanks for posting this information. My daughter’s class hatched several eggs last year for Biology. We inherited a rooster and two hens. I relocated the rooster because I was concerned that the crowing would grate someone’s nerves. Guess I was right because we got a “Courtesy Warning” the day after. Going to try and use the letter to try and keep them since we have had issues adjusting to a civilian lifestyle after 13 years of the military. The clucks are relaxing. I will let you know what happens. Safe journey.
We’re going through a issue right now I used your letter as a template and edited it to fit our names and dates. Did they just dismiss it after you sent that or did you have to go to court. I’m also wondering if I can register them as emotional support animals