A bit of a road block! Help!

[ZombiePagan89]

So far I love my chickens they are cute and healthy and happy about 4 to 5 weeks old now. Originally the idea was to keep them outside in a 6' by 6' coop with a 9' by 9' run. I have done extensive research, took a chicken class, found out county laws and such (I can have 6 hens). Everything was going great. Then I stumbled upon this video talking about HOAs and Coveant controlled areas. I started to think, I rent my home from my father (we are helping him renovate it because he has health issues). I do more research and find that we live in a covenant controlled area (like I had to really look for this info). Most of our neighbors are pretty cool. However, there is always a jerk in the bunch trying to play cool...you know how it is... Anyway I am not giving the chickens up without a fight...and no one knows I have them yet because we haven't really told anyone except family.

The main problem is that we have a huge exposed area in the back that needs to be fenced off so that lookie-loos and snitches can't see anything and report to big brother. It will cost 1,800 to put up a fence and I don't have that money saved up at the moment because we are doing other renovations to the house. I freaked out yesterday thinking I would lose my babies. Then my boyfriend (who is a sexy smarty pants) said why don't we keep them in the garage? We have a very big garage. At least 300sq ft we could build a coop and a run inside the garage (and eventually a sneaky outside run for even more space). Eventually, I will want them outside in the original coop; when the fence is up. I am buying time until then by keeping them insiade. I could potentially get the coveant to amend the rule so that they match the County.

Until then I need to know a few things about keeping them in a garage:

1. If I give them 112sq ft total which is what they would have outside how long can I keep them in the garage?

2. The garage has one window right now. I was going to cut more windows and sun roof things to get more light inside (but also hide the birds). Will this give them enough light for egg production? If I also get a supplemental light system?

3. What about sound proofing the garage to reduce noise? How many decables are chickens at the quietest and loudest (egg song)?

4. Has anyone ever had success with amending something like this with HOA/coveant ? What did you say to convince them?

Thank you for your help any advice that will keep my feather babies with me is much appreciated! I love them (I do have plan B, and c, and d) I am that type of person.

I looked up the minutes for the HOA and they seem sorta mean (were about to sue this old guy for something) last time I looked I lived in America not the novel 1984.

 

[Chikngal]

Our 4-5 week old babies are in a coop in our garage. We actually live in a really rural area (no traffic lights, not even a stop sign) and were shocked when we found out we needed permission to put a fence up. Most places you normally get a permit but here we have to have a guy come out and we have to explain to him every detail of the fence before we can get a permit. Doesn’t seem like anyone should need permission to do anything on their property. I think they will be fine in the garage short term. Good luck!

 

[Chikngal]

Oh and our girls are super noisy but we have 10 of them.

 

[mowin]

Sounds like it's going to be a major pain in the butt trying to keep things under wraps. Not to mention expensive. Privacy fences are not cheap.
Chickens make noise, sometime a lot of noise.
Guess what I'm saying is. Wait till you can get the green light.
Someone IS going to find out. Then your more attached, spent more money for possibilty of loosing everything.
Keeping chickens in the garage short term is ok, but when they get older, they are going to need and want to be outside in a run.
Don't think it's fair to the gals.

You say you have a plan B,&,C.
If those are keeping them elsewhere, that would be the logical, and smartest option for everyone, including the gals, involved.

 

[aart]

I do more research and find that we live in a covenant controlled area (like I had to really look for this info).

You'd need to find out exactly what the covenants are that affect your property.

Garage.....no cars, mowers, or volatiles stored there...fumes could kill birds.
Oh, and... the dust...there will be thick dust covering everything in the garage.