Animal sanctuary

[ShaliniW1985]

So I live on a medium sized farm, and I own a few rare breeds here. I love my birds. I mean I love them. I don’t sell them, I don’t butcher them, and I ethically collect and sell their eggs. I own two goats, ducks, chickens, quail, and one turkey. Ive been trying to breed some of the these rare breeds, in hope of helping the conservation status. Recently I’ve considered labeling my farm, legally as a sanctuary, allow me to continue breeding and collecting more of these rare breeds, like my dark Campbell ducklings, my aylesbury, and I’ve been considering purchasing Dutch Hookbills, who are critically endangered. I feed my birds a healthy variety of foods, and I hand build their habitats myself. I live in a small town, and I’ve almost reached the limit of birds that I can get, but I’m hoping that I can open it and label it as a sanctuary. I don’t want to make money off of my birds, but I want to give a good home to other birds out there because I know, if they go to other homes, they’ll be butchered or shot up with hormones to extend their laying periods. Can y’all let me know how to keep doing this? Or at least how I could try to work with my town to take the first steps of creating a sanctuary? it would truly mean the world to me.

 

[Callender Girl]

First, kudos to you for wanting to do this. If I was thinking about setting up a sanctuary, I would probably contact someone at one of the successful ones and ask for opinions on legalities and costs. Loving your animals is a good beginning.

 

[Big Doggie]

First, kudos to you for wanting to do this. If I was thinking about setting up a sanctuary, I would probably contact someone at one of the successful ones and ask for opinions on legalities and costs. Loving your animals is a good beginning.

I was an Assessor for a city in Mass and have some familiarity with special land classifications. But since I worked in a suburb I may not have all the answers especially in other states. The sanctuary status you are seeking may actually be a legal question. Things to consider start with: Will you be a non-profit? Do you plan to put the property in a trust owned by the sanctuary? Will you incorporate?

Since a sanctuary runs on money through donations, grants, or your own funds it will be considered a business of some type and businesses are controlled by local and state regulations.

But if you just plan to just offer sanctuary to birds out of compassion and personal interest as a hobby then you can call yourself a sanctuary. But when money is involved the government wants their percentage.

 

[ShaliniW1985]

I was an Assessor for a city in Mass and have some familiarity with special land classifications. But since I worked in a suburb I may not have all the answers especially in other states. The sanctuary status you are seeking may actually be a legal question. Things to consider start with: Will you be a non-profit? Do you plan to put the property in a trust owned by the sanctuary? Will you incorporate?

Since a sanctuary runs on money through donations, grants, or your own funds it will be considered a business of some type and businesses are controlled by local and state regulations.

But if you just plan to just offer sanctuary to birds out of compassion and personal interest as a hobby then you can call yourself a sanctuary. But when money is involved the government wants their percentage.

We usually don’t even consider donations, unless it’s just egg cartons from our egg buyers or neighbors so, money really isn’t involved. I just want to be able to be able to have more animals and provide foster care for them

 

[Acre4Me]

because I know, if they go to other homes, they’ll be butchered or shot up with hormones to extend their laying periods.

no, you do not know this. Not all chickens will be butchered....if so, you would be butchering your animals. Butchering animals to feed other animals or humans is not a bad thing and the vast majority to virtually all are butchered Humanely and quickly.

hormones are not given to chickens to extend laying. It would be cost prohibitive for starters.

I mention these things because if you are going to start a sanctuary, you should get used to speaking in factual terms using real information -it goes a long way towards being seen as credible.

 

[ShaliniW1985]

no, you do not know this. Not all chickens will be butchered....if so, you would be butchering your animals. Butchering animals to feed other animals or humans is not a bad thing and the vast majority to virtually all are butchered Humanely and quickly.

hormones are not given to chickens to extend laying. It would be cost prohibitive for starters.

I mention these things because if you are going to start a sanctuary, you should get used to speaking in factual terms using real information -it goes a long way towards being seen as credible.

I don’t care if they’re butcher humanely, I’m not butchering my birds and I’ll still try to protect other birds from that. Plus, I also house quail which also are commercially used for their eggs. Many businesses use special LEDs to extend their laying period through the winter, which takes away at least two years of their life. Plus I don’t know anyone near me who actually raises birds for pets. I live in a very rural area and all the farms around here raise their birds, and cook them next year.

 

[Acre4Me]

Many businesses use special LEDs to extend their laying period through the winter, which takes away at least two years of their life.

supplemental lighting isn’t giving the birds hormones. Supplemental lighting isn’t terrible. The birds used in large scale egg production are meant to lay a lot for 2 years, then less so. As a business they get rid of the birds, who are likely turned into food or feed. It is a good thing to have production Facilities on a large scale to be able to provide eggs at a low cost. Eggs are a good source of many nutrients and many people cannot raise their own birds to get eggs and/or could not pay high prices for a dozen eggs.

Plus, I also house quail which also are commercially used for their eggs.

yes. Why is this a negative?

Plus I don’t know anyone near me who actually raises birds for pets.

chickens are livestock. Not classified as pets. however, even those that have chickens as livestock, also likely have a favorite one or two in the flock.

I’ll still try to protect other birds from that.

generally, when an animal is on your land, you get to choose what to do with it. Pamper as a pet, raise as livestock, 4-H project, etc. there is little risk of having to protect your animals from marauding bands of chicken butchers.

 

[aart]

I live in a small town, and I’ve almost reached the limit of birds that I can get, but I’m hoping that I can open it and label it as a sanctuary.

Not sure legally becoming a 'sanctuary'(if you can even do that) will allow you to override locals laws for poultry population numbers.

 

[Lovem all]

Guys I think she's just saying she wants to take care of some more birds and feels bad for the ones that don't end up in good loving homes. Yeah they're live stock but some people have them as pets. Yeah some people take amazing care of their birds (look at this website) but other people don't. They just want to help out some more birds. Sounding to me like unwanted or endangered ones and that's great. We don't even have to sit here and talk about why she wants to because it doesn't matter and it's unrelevent to try to teach someone something by having everyone make general statements. I don't normally speak up like this so I'm sorry if I'm offending anybody. Let's offer the legal advice, the congrats/good job and move on.
Also I think this is an awesome idea. I hope you go for it and are able to help as many birds as possible. Good luck honey.

 

[Granitestater]

How is it going? I think what you're doing is very commendable.