Secret chicken in garage

[ninafe]

Hi guys! I recently got four golden comets chicks that are 10 days old. Our HOA rule is up to interpretation but when asked by an "anonymous caller", they said they do not allow chicken, which is to be expected because HOAs are just the most wonderful thing in the world

So I'm thinking through two plans 1) keep them in our garage and only let them out in our yard in the evening when I get home from work AND giving all surrounding four neighbors unlimited free eggs, and 2) keeping them in our backyard but with a low profile, good looking coop and run, AND giving all surrounding neighbors unlimited free eggs. Either way, I plan to keep the coop very clean and low smell. I assume it'd be the noise that'd ultimately trigger a neighbor to report on us...

Can you share some of your stories if you keep your chicken in your garage and how it works in terms of when to let them out, etc. Also please do share some stories of you keeping chicken from the HOA as well! Thank you!

 

[Battlepants]

So, even if you have all hens, there will still be some noise. If someone is near your garage door when the egg-song is playing, they will likely take notice.

Whenever breaking rules, consider your standing with all people involved. If everyone likes you, you will probably be fine. But all it takes is just one miserable person that wants everyone else to be as miserable as they are to throw a wrench into the works. I would strongly suggest working with your HOA to get chickens allowed in some small capacity, and get things in writing.

Ultimately, I would go with route 2 if at all possible. Chickens love to roam and hate to be confined on nice days. Even if they have just a coop and run they are allowed to wander, that's going to be much better than a sunless garage.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Please don't keep them in your garage. It's crueler to the bird than it sounds.
What do you mean by "open to interpretation"?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

With two chickens you won't be getting enough eggs to be winning people over. How well ventilated is your garage? That would be my main concern keeping them in there. I would let them roost in the garage and let them free range in the backyard during the day if possible

 

[duluthralphie]

I would move.

 

[Naisha]

I moved for similar reasons.

 

[strangedream]

Hi! I realize that this is an older post and you've likely figured this issue out and made a decision about where to keep your illegal chickens (lol.) I, too, have 4 illegal chickens. To make matters worse, I am a RENTER in an HOA neighborhood. I was never given a handbook or list of rules despite living here for 9 years and so I can honestly claim initial ignorance of the no chickens rule. We received a couple violation notices demanding that we IMMEDIATELY get rid of the chickens. The second notice even rudely said something to the effect of "we know know you still have chickens in your garage, they must be removed from your property immediately." Well, **** that is my feeling on the second violation notice. My chickens live in my garage. Once in awhile I take them into the backyard and read or draw while they peck things and run around and take dirt baths. I would let them in the house no problem if they wanted to do literally anything other than obsessively peck the walls, but it's impossible to keep them from doing so and therefore they spend most of their time in the garage. I also spend most of my time in the garage as I use it as a music studio and office area. My chickens used to do the whole egg song thing but barely ever do anymore if I'm in the room, which I usually am. This has led me to believe that the egg song has something to do with predators. I think my chickens view me as either head chicken or possibly rooster or chicken guardian. I've noticed that when I leave the garage, within minutes everyone is yelling on the other side of the door. I have also noticed that as soon as I leave the garage, all chickens make a beeline for my desk and when I return, I find them checking themselves out in my mirror, pooping all over stuff, vandalizing the roll of paper towels and basically having an all out anarchist chicken party on my desk. I haven't decided yet whether i think that they do this because they think I'm head chicken and are trying to vie for my position as soon as I leave by jumping all over my desk or if I think they do it because they like me and miss me. I have the same dual thinking on why they all start yelling their heads off when I leave for any length of time. They are mostly silent when I'm around other than cute little quiet clucks and whistles. My chickens are not very cuddly. I know they like being around me because they at least half of the time in the day end up congregating near me to preen or take a nap or peck stuff. They let me pick them up and hold them and tolerate being pet but act like my touch is an electric shock even if I just lightly tap the tip of a tail feather. They only hop into my lap if they think I have food and then it's only to eat said food, not to kick it. Once in a great while I can grab a chicken and put her on my shoulder and she will relax into a laying position on my shoulder and hang out for awhile there while I do whatever I'm doing at my desk. The rest of the time they tolerate being handled but go their own way as soon as they are able.

I read a couple comments above stating that keeping chickens in a garage is cruel. I just want to say that if I felt that they were suffering, I would do whatever was necessary for them to not suffer. I've spent literally every day of their lives with them all day and most of most nights and although they are my first chickens, I feel like I would know it if they were suffering or my confining them indoors was akin to some kind of cruel act. I think that this is just their lives and they get lots of snacks and love and get to do whatever they want and fly all over the place and explore high up spots with me right there to rescue them should they need it. They never peck each other or fight anymore. They each lay one perfect brown egg every morning in a very orderly fashion and have two little coops they can retreat to in the garage. I keep their areas clean (which is a 24/7 never ending job by itself) and keep their water clean and their food bowls full. I also have a female German shepherd who is stuck to me like glue and who clearly could do without the chickens but so far has never harmed a feather on their bodies and only once in awhile chases them. She has started eating vegetables solely because she doesn't like it when I give the chickens a snack but fail to bring her her portion which I find to be hilarious.

I could say more but since the original poster has surely made her decision by now and doesn't need my weird garage chicken lady advice, and so I'm going to end this answer here by saying that anyone else who finds their way to this answer who is considering becoming a chicken outlaw and keeping chickens in their garage please don't hesitate to contact me in a direct message and ask me anything. Maybe I'll post a few pictures of this at some point but for now, I'm going to end this very long answer. Chickens rule!