If you're interested in keeping Urban Chickens, please join us on our Facebook page, "Miles City Chicken Lovers". We can share information, ask questions and make this endeavor a success. I would like to organize a Coop Tour, let me know if you're interested even if you live outside city limits. Education is the key to making this work.

Given the recent rash of lost dogs, I am wondering if we should be concerned about leghorns wandering all over town and getting lost. Perhaps we should be sure to keep those chickens on a chain.

Good call, Richard! Although... no Roosters are allowed, correct?

No roosters...although I did find a pattern for a "hen cozy" that I'm sure we could attach a leash! That would work, right?

Histoplasmosis...

http://www.dhpe.org/infect/histo.html

Kelly, thanks for your concern but the only mention of chickens in that article was in respect to "old chicken houses". Any bird or bat dropping has the potential of carrying the fungus Histoplasmosis. It also occurs in the soil and mostly in the Mid-west and back East (according to the CDC).

People with weak immune systems should be cautious (of course) but all of us can protect ourselves by wearing a mask and gloves and making sure there is adequate ventilation when cleaning the coop. We should always wash our hands before and after holding and caring for the chickens. All pets have the potential to spread disease, not just chickens. Removing shoes when entering a home will help limit the spread of potential bacteria and dirt. Education is important so thank you for bringing this to our attention...and frankly there's risk in everything.

More Chickens in town = more bird droppings = more (and greater concentration) food for Histoplasmosis = more risk to the elderly. Mr. Uden is Chairman of the City Health Board. Maybe that is why he wants cement under coops. Just sayin...

[This message has been edited by Kelly (7/6/2011)]

I'm sure we'll be piling corpses out at the fairgrounds in no time.

Kelly's comment prompted another thought:

Has anyone in City government investigated if said urban chicken operations will require a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit? These operations could be defined under EPA rules as small Confined Animal Feeding Operations. Seems like some guidelines for how the waste will be handled are in order to avoid issues later. If waste is seen discharging into what are classified as Waters of the United States there could be some enforcement actions on the part of the EPA. Dealing with the federal requirements could end up costing the City money they don't have for DEQ or EPA issues if this isn't considered and dealt with now. If half of the city has 6 chicken each you've gone from a small CAFO to a medium CAFO.

I am not against urban chickens. Just trying to keep people out of trouble and in compliance.


http://www.epa.gov/npdes/...chapt4.pdf page 7191

[This message has been edited by Richard Bonine, Jr. (7/6/2011)]

Kelly, I'd recommend calling the City of Missoula and requesting their statistics since allowing Urban Chickens, or Bozeman, or Livingston, or Laremy, WY, or Kalispell--I have. There is ample info online regarding Urban Chickens in any number of major cities including Portland(OR and Maine), Seattle(WA), Riverside(CA) and lets not forget New York City where the Dept. of Health has declared that Urban Chickens are not a threat and people can keep as many hens as they'd like.

The ordinance saying it is lawful to keep up to 6 hens (no roosters)in MC has already passed the City Council and went into effect June 24, 2011. Now we are hammering out the specifics. I have repeatedly encouraged adopting the Missoula Ordinance--it addresses any potential concerns but doesn't make it so restrictive citizens will have a hard time complying. Plus, they have a 5 year track record IN Montana. And since you mentioned concrete (included in the minutes not yet approved), I would assume you were at the same Public Safety mtg I attended and heard Councilmen repeatedly say, "I don't know anything about chickens."

Applying federal pollutant laws to 6 hens is like applying fertilizer/water agricultural runoff laws to my square foot garden. It is de minimus. Anybody that has chickens knows that they, especially only 6, can see they don't produce a lot of waste. And regarding waste, that is exactly why you don't want concrete. Concrete increases run off and does not allow the bacteria and organisms in the soil to break down waste. That is also why a concrete dog kennel smells so much worse that a grass or dirt kennel. Also, chickens like to scratch and feed, concrete would prohibit that. I have dogs and chickens and I guarantee that dogs are much harder to keep clean and keep quite than the chickens.

The Urban Chickens are the best. I loved their last album, Where The Cl*ck Are My Eggs?

my personal opinion is that most of the chickens would be running all over town throughout the day and honestly who wants chicken crap covering any part of their lawn or concrete. they are disgusting messy animals but they sure taste good. and if i find any in my lawn they sure will be tasty on my bbq

Is Miles City urban? Sounds to me like you are being a lot more restrictive than alot of cities! If there is such a concern re: histoplasmosis, maybe the city should take care of the pigeons.

Their first album, The sky's only falling when there's weed in my feed, left a little to be desired,

Kelly, I'd recommend calling the City of Missoula and requesting their statistics since allowing Urban Chickens, or Bozeman, or Livingston, or Laremy, WY, or Kalispell--I have. There is ample info online regarding Urban Chickens in any number of major cities including Portland(OR and Maine), Seattle(WA), Riverside(CA) and lets not forget New York City where the Dept. of Health has declared that Urban Chickens are not a threat and people can keep as many hens as they'd like.

And you need to learn the difference between possibility and probability, as well as the definition of "maybe."

Applying federal pollutant laws to 6 hens is like applying fertilizer/water agricultural runoff laws to my square foot garden. It is de minimus.

I agree that it might be "de minimus". But it appears that such operations fit the definition of a CAFO and would require an NPDES permit. The City should contact DEQ and get in writing a statement that urban chickens are exempt from the NPDES permitting requirements. The "we don't need any stinkn' permit" mentality, common in eastern Montana, isn't not going to fly if the EPA decides to enforce the rules.

Getting some guidance from DEQ is a simple, cost effective, step that can be taken to save everyone a lot of trouble down the road.