Backyard Chickens in Mesquite (Arlington, Irving: rent, coop, buying a house)

[sklater]

Hello everyone,

My wife and kids and I are closing on a house in East Mesquite tomorrow (May 28th) and we are excited to be in the neighborhood. This is our first home, and we have many plans for being involved in the community and local school.

Our lot is a fairly large lot for the neighborhood (Beasley Elem.) and we are planning to start a garden to be ready by fall and also wanted to get some chickens. We noticed though in the city ordinances Mesquite currently does not allow poultry or other livestock within the city limits. I understand that a few years ago a petition was started with to get this put before the city council, but was unsure of what happened with this. If it's currently not allowed we are planning on getting people together in the city who are also interested in having backyard chickens to have the city put it up to a vote. Many other cities in the DFW area already allow this, and with proper regulation it's a great idea for Mesquite to allow home owners to have chickens for eggs.

Thanks

[seasick]

I hope you are successful. When advocating for backyard chickens, make sure they don't sneak crazy things into the regulations. Some places "allow" chickens, but when you look at the requirements, it's clear they don't actually allow them! Such as requiring too much space between your coop and your neighbor's fenceline - some places make sure to make the minimum distance far longer than a typical lot size.

[kt2le]

Originally Posted by seasick

I hope you are successful. When advocating for backyard chickens, make sure they don't sneak crazy things into the regulations. Some places "allow" chickens, but when you look at the requirements, it's clear they don't actually allow them! Such as requiring too much space between your coop and your neighbor's fenceline - some places make sure to make the minimum distance far longer than a typical lot size.

Agreed. I know it varies by city but we have friends in Arlington with chickens, which I thought was against city ordinances. However, our friend said there was an ordinance against roosters (I suppose since they're noisy), not chickens. Not sure what other requirements there are but I could see how setbacks, etc. would come into play. Their house is in a lovely neighborhood of $500K+ homes on 1-2 acre lots and they keep the chickens contained - definitely not shabby - but maybe the large lot is the reason they can have them. I'll admit the chickens pecking and strutting around are fun to watch plus our friends give us fresh eggs. Good luck!

[Homebod]

Sklater, I too would like to be able to raise back yard chickens. Any news? Petitions?

[EDS_]

Can someone tell me the attraction?

It can't be money savings.

Virtually no city-dweller has enough yard space to free-range laying chickens without supplementing feed. Most times he city dweller will be supplementing feed with a bit of free range calories.

Layers produces from about 6 mos. - about 3/3.5 years of age. They tend to live a lot longer than that. So you either need to feed them until death, and they'll count against any city quota, or you can euthanize them and feed the caresses to dogs or whatever. A retired layer is more or less non-edible for humans. They only exception I'm aware of is ex-leyers can be ground into chicken tamale meat that is at least passable if slathered over with very hot sauce.

Chicken crap is absolutely in the top 10 most disgusting animal waste products on earth.


I was raised on a ranch at any time with dozens of chickens. I get that brown eggs are awesome to eat and to cook with. But with a trip to WF you can grab a doz. brown free range eggs for $2.99, full organic for $3.99 while avoiding the noise, smell, potential to attract everything from feral dogs/cats, bobcats, coyotes, owls etc. While it's true - I've seen it happen - that chickens will kill very small snakes.............chicken eggs attract larger snakes. It seems like rat snakes in particular love eggs.

________________

If it's to teach kids that food really does not originate from the grocery store etc. I get that. Or maybe to control ticks etc.

Or maybe if the idea is as a semi-recreational endeavor........I get that too.

[WorldKlas]

I had some tenants that raised chickens at one of my rent house in Irving. It was no problem. the city of Irving allows chickens but not roosters. Perhaps your petition would be successful if you excluded roosters.

[jkeating]

Can you tell me where you found that chickens aren't allowed? All I could find in the Mesquite municipal code was Article II-Livestock, Sec. 4-33 that refers to standards of sanitation for pens and enclosures being maintained and kept in such a manner as not to become offensive or disagreeable. But I didn't see anything the specifically prohibited poultry. Thanks.

[octo]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Can someone tell me the attraction?

I guess it can be a hobby so there's no strict rational reason. Like you said, it can't be money.

Maybe to be sure what the chickens are fed? Maybe because some think chickens are cute?

Personally I wouldn't want chickens because I hate having to deal with animal disease and death and with chickens you'd have to be emotionally detached otherwise it could be an extreme money sink.

[jkeating]

I found it! It's under Appendix C Zoning Ordinance, Part 2-Residential Districts. From what I see, you CAN have chickens, BUT ONLY if you have 2 or more acres of land. Hopefully, they'll change this. I may be buying a house in Mesquite, and I would really like to have chickens.
For EDS_ and others who wonder why people would want to keep backyard chickens, I think it's a matter of a sense of satisfaction and wanting to feel connected to your food chain; you have eggs that come from chickens that you know what they eat and the humane conditions under which they are raised. My understanding is that chickens make very personable and good pets, and their manure is great fertilizer.