So far, Missoula’s 35 urban chicken permits have yielded 22 complaints for noise and public health violations. I know because I filed 20 of the complaints myself as health secretary of the Northside neighborhood watch.
As I write, chickens continue to pose a threat to the health of our children. The people have spoken, the concerns are out–it’s time to reban chickens.
What “threat to the health of…children” do the chickens pose? I’m just curious. We’re way out in the boonies on private property with our chickens, but they certainly don’t have any adverse affect on our child or us. What conditions about these birds in your area are unhealthy? Are people not following the rules laid out by the permits, or are the permits not in-depth enough as far as regulations go?
Let us assume that the statement “I filed 20 of the complaints myself” is not hyperbole.
Truly I am please to have a watchdog such as yourself protecting our children from the sort of frightful upbringing I endured growing up on a farm. Exposed to poultry on a daily basis my parents risked my health by forcing us to have fresh eggs every morning and chicken for lunch or dinner on a regular basis. Why the fats and cholesterol from farm cooking alone! How did I ever survive?
And the mess from chicken droppings! Oh, sure, they were contained in their ‘yard’, and I was only exposed if I entered the fence. But surely they were more dangerous to me than all of the dog droppings Missoula kids face today whenever they visit one of our urban parks. I’m amazed I made it out of childhood alive.
Please! Keep up the good work filing those complaints!! It’s great the know that the People have spoken, all three of you. (Assuming that the other two complaints didn’t come from your partner or something…)
Interesting post. Would you mind getting into contact with me, I’ve been thinking about writing a news story about this issue for a class I’m in and I think your insight would be helpful.
P.S. Sorry I have to get in contact with you this way, I couldn’t find any way to do it privately.
“The Children” are the two buzz words the wackos use to try to push every thing they want regulated to death. “The Children” this “The Children” that. I have a suggestion, keep “The Children” out of other peoples chicken coops and you will not have to worry about “The Children”.
From my article last December:
“All in all, we don’t see any huge problems with the chickens,” Missoula County Animal Control Supervisor Ed Franceschina told me this week. Franceschina’s records show a total of just 14 complaints about chickens in the last year.
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/missoula_in_the_year_of_the_chicken/C564/L564/