FARMING YOUR OWN CHICKENS in SMITHTOWN (Brookhaven, Huntington: coop, live, law)

[Giznot]

I always wanted to work as a quasi farmer and was wondering what would be the benefits and laws regarding farming your own chickens. What do you think?

[Gue]

We keep thinking of getting a couple for our half acre.

But I don't know if they would hold their own against the cats.

I'm interested also if anyone has tried this.

[S.I.B.]

"what century is this?"

[I_Love_LI_but]

Don't know about Smithtown, but there was a thread on here about people being allowed to have chickens in Huntington.

[Rachael84]

I grew up in Smithtown, and my next door neighbor had a chicken coup right beside our property. They kept breaking through it and going all over our lawn. I don't recommend this unless you keep them away from your neighbors' lawns, because you'll create some very angry neighbors, like my parents...lol.

[Giznot]

You mean the chicken broke through the chicken wire? I wouldn't let them roam at all. I would get a tractor coop and place it in different parts of the property.

[Rachael84]

It might not have been them breaking through--it might have just been the owners letting them loose. I was pretty young when this went on, but I can remember like 50 chickens roaming our yard at different times.

As long as they're kept away, I'm sure it will be ok.

[TANaples]

He let them loose. Of course they wouldn't stay just on HIS property. Actually, they not only went on our property, they ran out into the street too. He had a rooster too that used to crow at 4 AM every morning. Fun.

Guess who always ended up chasing chickens all over? ME, not HIM. We laid down the law to him, keep them cooped up off our property, and out of the street for their and everyone's safety, or we are calling the pound. He never let them out again.

This was in the early 90s.

[Gue]

I found an interesting thread on this~think they are too noisy for where I live!

http://www.city-data.com/forum/pets/...-chickens.html

[lialleycat]

I don't know what Smithtown's code is, but in Brookhaven Town, you can have up to 6 hens on your property. No roosters allowed. I have a friend who keeps chickens in Ridge and used to know a woman who had bantam chickens in Shirley. They are great pets and the hens are not unpleasantly loud. They do make a bit of noise when they lay an egg and sort of talk to themselves when they are happy. Much nicer noise to me than the neighbors yapping dogs! Roosters however are noisy and that's why they are banned in most townships on LI. When people complain chickens are noisy, they usually are referring to the roosters.

I would approach the neighbors and get their feelings on the issue, just so they aren't always complaining to the town. You can always bribe them with some fresh eggs too. You have to keep the coop clean. If you let them out in the yard, bantams can fly, so remember that if you choose bantam birds. Your neighbors may not want chickens in their yards!

There are a few places on Long Island that sell pre-made coops and chicken tractors (a movable coop/pen combo). I'm looking for the perfect plans to build my own chicken tractor. I wanted to get birds this year, but due to some family illnesses, my energy got focused elsewhere and the tractor didn't get built. So this summer I'll build the coop and I'll get the birds next spring.