Idaho HOA

[new_mama]

I live in Caldwell Idaho, and my HOA CC&R's say:

"Animals. No animals, livestock or poultry of any kind shall be raised, kept, or permitted within any Lot other than a reasonable number of domestic household pets which are not kept, bred, or raised for commercial purposes and which are reasonably controlled so as not to be a nuisance."

So it's all one sentence....

I'd like to have 3 or 4 backyard hens. Who would have names, who would interact with our dogs, and honestly be our pets. I wouldn't be selling eggs, nor breeding them, they'd just be pets with benefits.

I know two other houses in my neighborhood (there's 200 houses all together) that have chickens, but with my luck I'd be the one to get called out....

What's your interpretation of this?

Any thoughts / suggestions?

 

[charlie1051]

HOA's.....YUCK. I say do it no matter what Although my wife might tell you that this mentality has caused a few problems before..

You may have to prove they are "household". But without a search warrant-how are they going to know the chickens don't stay in your home?

I think they left the wording open enough that you have wiggle room.

Good luck!!

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

I also live in ID with an HOA, I just ignored it and got hens... and several other people in the neighborhood are doing the same. The thing is with my HOA is that each house is on 1 acre and we are allowed to own a horse and a cow on the property but no chicken...? I don't get it. I live in city limits so I follow the law that I can have 10 hens but no roos. I suggest that you follow the city law but try to pick quieter breeds (especially if you live in a neighborhood) and have a pretty coop (if you can).

 

[nuthatched]

"Animals. No animals, livestock or poultry of any kind shall be raised, kept, or permitted within any Lot

This is a clear, concise statement on not being allowed to have them.
How will fine you and force you to rehome the birds, sometimes by force.
No wiggle room.
No re-labling.
No chickens.
Sorry.

 

[townchicks]

Frankly, I would not recommend taking advice on this from random people on the forum, as nice and helpful as people are regarding chicken issues. This is a legal issue, and best to consult a real lawyer, one well versed in HOA concerns. Yes, the language is vague, but poultry are specifically excluded. You can argue that they are pets, ( mine certainly are) but the law usually considers them livestock. If you choose to just ignore the rules, and are caught, you will be forced to get rid of them fast, or possibly risk a lien on your property. Please consider all the risks and downside for you and the chickens before going ahead with this. Maybe start a petition, or run for a position on the HOA board to effect a change.

 

[new_mama]

HOA's.....YUCK. I say do it no matter what Although my wife might tell you that this mentality has caused a few problems before..

You may have to prove they are "household". But without a search warrant-how are they going to know the chickens don't stay in your home?

I think they left the wording open enough that you have wiggle room.

Good luck!!

oh no! Have you guys ran into these issues?

 

[new_mama]

I also live in ID with an HOA, I just ignored it and got hens... and several other people in the neighborhood are doing the same. The thing is with my HOA is that each house is on 1 acre and we are allowed to own a horse and a cow on the property but no chicken...? I don't get it. I live in city limits so I follow the law that I can have 10 hens but no roos. I suggest that you follow the city law but try to pick quieter breeds (especially if you live in a neighborhood) and have a pretty coop (if you can).

Any quiet breeds you recommend unparticular?

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

Any quiet breeds you recommend unparticular?

I have a Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex, Ameraucana, and two ISA Browns. From quietest to loudest I would put: Ameraucana, Buff Orpington, ISA Brown, Speckled Sussex. That's just my experience though. My Speckled Sussex is pretty talkative, but we have never gotten any complaints about her. The rest are pretty quiet in my experience.
I would recommend all of those breeds if you are looking for friendly chickens, they are all super sweet and social. From friendliest to flightiest I would put: Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex, Ameraucana, and (tied with) ISA Brown. But like I said, they are all super social.
Hope this helps!

 

[charlie1051]

oh no! Have you guys ran into these issues?

No, I live in the country but I've watched YouTube videos of HOA drama But I'm sure not everyone has the same experiences!

My Bielefelders are quiet and so are my Barred Rocks. And now that I think about it, IDK if I have EVER heard my Barred Rocks make a peep.. My Ameraucana's are not quiet, it's interesting that Chicken Shepard has Ameraucana's that are quiet, I guess they're all different. I have 2 types of Marans and they are quiet.

I bet there's a page on here that talks about quiet breeds but personally, I like my hens raucous, rowdy and loud!! I play them music as they are fans of hard rock.