Wow, this blog entry took longer than I expected. I'll answer more questions as they come to me (or as you send them my way). G'night!
G, is there an easy way replace your lawn with a herb or vegetable garden?
My husband and I used a combination of digging out the sod, thick layers of newspaper, corrugated cardboard and or plastic and topping that with tree mulch. You really don't have to dig up the grass if you do it properly (we didn't wet the weed block layer). This process is known as sheet mulching. Here are a few sites that describe sheet mulching or other easy alternatives.
- Stopwaste.org
- Agroforestry.net
- An article from Mother Earth News on How to Start a Quick and Easy Food Garden
G, does my city allow backyard chickens?
I looked up and listed the rules on backyard chickens for cities and towns Charleston County, SC where I live. You can go to BackyardChickens.com to city ordinances search page. If that doesn't work, google the name of your city and municipal code, then look for the section on animals, its in there somewhere.
Chapter 4 of the City of North Charleston ordinance on animals and fowl states: Domestic animal includes dogs, cats, domesticated sheep, horses, cattle, goats, swine, fowl, ducks, geese, turkeys, confined domestic hares and rabbits, pheasants, and other birds and animals raised and/or maintained in confinement. My response - La, la, la, la, la, I get to be a farmer woo!
Sections 5.8 and 5.9 of the City of Charleston's ordinance on livestock states: Sec. 5.8 - Keeping cows and goats prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain any cow or goat within the corporate limits of the city except at a distance more than one hundred fifty (150) feet from any dwelling, other than the dwelling of the person so keeping such animals, unless written permission is obtained from the residents and owners of such dwellings that may be within one hundred fifty (150) feet of the place where such animals are to be housed or maintained, and under such conditions that are approved by either the health officer, the public safety and housing officer or the division of animal control relating to the appropriate care and security of said animals. (Code 1975, § 5-11; Ord. No. 1976-29, § 1, 9-14-76; Ord. No. 1987-160, § 1, 9-22-87)
Sec. 5.9 - Keeping swine and poultry prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain any hogs, pigs or poultry within the corporate limits of the city except at a distance more than one hundred fifty (150) feet from any dwelling, other than the dwelling of the person so keeping such animals, unless written permission is obtained from the residents and owners of the dwelling within one hundred fifty (150) feet of where such animals are to be housed or maintained, and under such conditions as are approved by either the health officer, the public safety and housing officer or the division of animal control relating to the appropriate care and security of the animals.
(Code 1975, § 5-12; Ord. No. 1976-29, § 1, 9-14-76; Ord. No. 1987-160, § 2, 9-22-87)
Basically, the City of Charleston's rule is if your homestead isn't in the middle of nowhere or you don't get written permission from neighbors living within 150 feet of your planned farm, you're (currently) out of luck.
Section 4.4 of the Town of Summerville's ordinance on livestock states: Poultry at large. It shall be unlawful for any person to permit or allow any chickens, ducks, geese or other poultry of any kind or description to be at large within the corporate limits of the municipality, excepton lands owned, leased or controlled by such person. Huh? What if the poultry is (at) small?
(Code 1982, § 3-4) Chapters 90.27 and 90.28 describe the Town of Mt. Pleasant's ordinance on livestock: § 90.27 KEEPING DOMESTIC FOWL. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or have in his or her possession any chickens, turkeys, ducks, guineas, geese, pheasants, pigeons or other domestic fowl that will because of noise, odors, or flies, or otherwise tend to impair the health or disturb the peace quiet and comfort of nearby residents occupants of places of business.
('81 Code, § 90.13) (Ord. 93050 passed 10-12-93)
§ 90.28 COOPS FOR CONFINEMENT OF FOWL. It shall be unlawful for any person to confine fowl in coops or other enclosures less than 18 inches in height. Such coops or other enclosures shall not be so filled that fowl therein will not be able to move around freely within the same. All coops or other enclosures used to confine fowl shall be provided at all times with clean food and pure water placed in Containers outside of the coop or other enclosure, protected from contamination, and accessible to the fowl at all times. Coops or other enclosures used to confine fowl shall be provided with clean litter and cross-ventilation at all times. No fowl shall be left in any building unless provision is made for outside ventilation. ('81 Code, § 90.14) (Ord. 93050, passed 10-12-93)