handle with care

[asakiyume]

I arrived at the post office today as a postal worker was bringing a wide, low rectangular box out to a car. The box had holes, and I could hear peeping. As we both walked into the building, I asked, "Were those chicks?" And indeed they were.

The post office was very quiet at that time of day--except for cheeping and peeping! From the back room.

"I know I can't go back there," I said, "But can you take my phone back and take pictures?"

Well, he did better than that. He brought out a box of ducklings...



and then came a box of chicks!



"I guess these are all spoken for," I said wistfully.

"No, they're mainly going to tractor supply stores," he said.

But even though B'town is a right-to-farm community, I live in a neighborhood with a homeowner's association, and sadly, poultry is not allowed. We talked about backyard chickens, the price of eggs and the cost of feed, and homeowners associations.

I love my post office and the USPS generally. [That is your veiled political commentary for the day]

Comments

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Then you're in a much better position than average and have more options.

I would say, look at the rules and ask why they are there. Most people in an urban area don't want too much noise or smell. But banning "livestock" isn't the only way to achieve that.

* You can rule out obvious things like full-size cows and horses. But there are now miniatures of both that are goat or even dog-sized. Also miniature goats which are even smaller. Geese might not be a great idea because they really can get loud, but on the other hand, they do that because they fill the role of guard animals which you may or may not need. Ducks are an excellent choice. So are hens. Roosters are often banned because they crow. Guineas are fairly quiet and eat ticks. Quail are so small they can be kept indoors. Rabbits live in hutches, so do guinea pigs, both are great urban livestock. Bees not only produce honey but pollinate food plants. If you research something like "urban livestock" or "raising food animals in town" then you can find lots of resources from other people who have explored these issues.

* You can also switch between banning "livestock" to addressing specific nuisances such as noise or smells. That means as long as nobody's causing a problem, you don't need to get involved at all.

* Do talk about the condition of the world, your town and state's recommendations, and your stance as a group.

* Consider what will make less work for you. Every rule on the list is something you have to bother with if it comes up. Whittle down to the ones you really need and it'll save a lot of hassle. If you inherited a set of rules, they may no longer serve you. The idea of overhauling everything at once may be unfeasible, but you could examine one old rule per meeting and ask, "Do we need this rule in our community today?" then delete or modify it as needed. Clearing out the cruft will make your job easier.

Re: Thoughts

[asakiyume]

I appreciate your good energy! Will use it to propel me forward :-)

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

I wish you luck with it!

At this time in the world, people need the ability to grow food, and for neighbors to take care of each other.

A couple other options occurred to me:

* If your neighborhood has some common space, you might see about setting up a community garden or henhouse there, instead of separate bits in people's yards. This often makes it feasible to grow things that wouldn't fit in a smaller yard.

* If your neighborhood really isn't comfortable with livestock, consider a local food pantry instead.