AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Why are poultry breeders considered second rate citizen’s,I ask you this?
I have a close friend who has truly lived a nightmare.They owned an acre block right next to the mission(Aboriginal Camp).These people were looking for a bigger house than they had to raise there young family in.They found this house they loved and bought it.They had little money and 2 small children and that was all they could afford..They fenced the property,grew climbers on the back fence as a screen,mainly to stop the natives coming over the fence and ran a small business from home so they could be with my children while they were growing up.They planted an orchard of orange trees, mandarin trees,mulberry trees and others.They bought a dozen a dozen hens and a rooster for fresh eggs.No were was it stated in our by-laws no rooster. Now they had a wonderful neighbourhood were everyone helped everyone out for 14 years. One day the immediate neighbour decided they were going to sell up and move closer to family for health reasons. Everyone was sad by this news but at the same time excited to receive new neighbours.This excitement turned into horror in a matter of weeks. First they had her looking over the fence every time they were outside asking whats in that shed,or why do you have a fernary and so on.Then she asked them to move the fernary as this neighbour could not see into our friends yard properly. Mind you this would not have been easy as it was on a slab.Then the next complaint was,you cant have those chooks they are dirty and carry diseases and lice. In fact they were some of the healthiest I have ever seen and they were very clean.The yard was spotless.My friend would give them food scraps in the morning and one day a voice came hurling over the fence at her.’’You cant feed them that you are going to bring in mice and rats.’’The chooks cleaned them up that day.In fact within an hour most days.All the manure and compost was cleaned out every second week and put in there compost heap.The then, new neighbor complained about how unsightly they thought the compost heap was.So my friend bought big plastic composting bins.My friends started to get Jack of being told what to do in there own back yard and asked my husband to build a 6ft fence so they could not see in the yard anymore. He agreed as he was handy at building fences.These people would be in my friends yard beside them telling them what could and could not do in there own yard.My friends went to council and asked about the fence and were told if there is an existing fence there then they did not need permission if they were paying for it,go right ahead.My friends drove around the neighbourhood and looked at all the fences.All were corrugated iron so they checked with council and council was happy with that.They spoke to the neighbour about the fence and got laughed at.My friend and husband started to build the fence, it just happen to be a weekend the neighbour had gone away.In the 2 days they had the fence finished.As it was after dark when the neighbour got home they did not notice the fence. Early the next morning my friends heard the foulest language ever coming from that neighbour and they took to the fence with a sledge hammer.Hence the police were called to the disturbance.They were told that our friends were well within there rights to build the fence.Then they went to council and put in a complaint about the fence and how awful it was and requested because the fence was damaged that our friends be made pull it down. Council came and looked at the fence and my girlfriend produced photos proving that the fence was not damaged and was neatly painted when it was finished. As it was obvious they had damaged the fence council told them they were responsible for repairs to it. These new people had not only made enemies of my friends but also there neighbours on the opposite side and in front and behind them as well. Then they had abuse hurled at them every time they were outside.The new neighbour rang the council at least 12 times a day to complain about the chooks,the dogs and even the noise of the children, everyday, day after day. In the end my friends were asked to get rid of there chooks by council because of all the noise they made when the neighbours were banging on the fence and throwing stones at them. Then the dogs two beagles that only barked if somebody came in the yard of a night.They were still verbally abusing everyone including the children and had threatened to rape them and worse.My friends had been assaulted physically several times.These people had a criminal record a mile long. By this time they put the house on the market,they could not live like that anymore.12 months was already to long.Many times the police and council were involved. None were any help at all.It was suggested that my friend take out an AVO but if this happened, then the neighbour was likely to take one back at them. My friend would then have a record with police and because of her business she could not risk it. Even if she fort the order in court she would have months or even years of lost income due to the AVO.My friend was registered for her business though a government department and we all know how slow that is.They did checks on her business to make sure she is within the law. Anyway my friend managed to sell the house for much less money than the house was worth and get out.

My friends moved out into a rural area with no close neighbours and have been happy for 7 years now just doing there thing and getting more chooks of which they eat all the excess birds.They have plenty of eggs and they have established a big orchard and grow all there own fruit and veges with a huge garden that they share produce with neighbours.She makes jams,pickles and freezes or bottles all excess. All straw and manure goes into there compost and then into the gardens.They have planted many hundreds of gum trees and put in drip water system right around the property to maintain the trees while the trees were young.They have screened out the world from there place.


Now it seems that there area they live in has been zoned Rural 1 (c) and now they have neighbours all around them on 3 and 5 acre blocks.The neighbours all have horses,cows,sheep and yes chooks but not the number my friend has.When they first moved out there they asked council can they have chooks and was there any limit to the no of birds they had.They were told it was not an issue where they were going and never would be.

My friends were notified of the possible change to zoning by council and objected at every meeting.They asked if they could keep there birds and council told them they were only allowed 12 again and no roosters with no exception to the rules. My friend has many birds of many breeds and is now facing loosing all again. Council say that having that many poultry is not in the future plan for the area.She has all new pens that are very clean. There have been no complaints from any neighbours about anything. My friend spends most of her time with her birds now as she has had to give up work for health reasons and this is her life. I feel this worry is contributing to her health also.She is just so sick of bureaucracy and wishes she had the sense to get what council said in writing now before they bought there land and house.I cant see them moving as they are truly very happy there apart from this 1 very big issue. I know that she is very tired but she has no intention of getting rid of any birds.They live near a main highway and all the trucks make more noise then her birds,especially the cotton trucks that go 24/7 in cotton season,harvest which is now. You can see and hear the traffic from her house.Also the neighbours irrigation pump when watering lucerne makes more noise then the birds.That is also frequent atm.I just don’t know what to do to help her.

This seem to be happening at an alarming rate and its sad when the innocent are bullied and driven out of their love for a hobby

This is an awful situation for your friends first having to move due to abuse now facing council changes. The council changes are something that we all should consider as it very well could happen to any of us. I live VERY rural with no chance of being built out but having said that my neighbour behind me could cut off some of their land and sell the corner block to someone who then proceeds to complain about our horses, cows, roosters or geese or how about our kids riding the go cart or perhaps my canary will annoy them by whistling? Going too far? Its a fact that we live in the day and age of complaints, got a problem, don't try to resolve it just complain to the council or the police or everyone then if that doesn't work sue them for everything. People like your friend bought in a rural area to keep their chooks there should be some sort of council law that see's a fair go for those who have been in the area for such a long time instead of steam rolling them.

We live in an area where the council has just changed all the animal control laws - but apparently there is a "grandfather clause" which allows us to keep our animals as we had purchased them prior to the new laws being introduced.

Makre sure they get a copy of the laws and hunt through council websites etc. I find quite often that those that give advice at the council office don't really know what they are talking about.

Great idea Cluckychick.

If councils change local laws it cannot be pro-rata for that new local law therefore only new residents will have to comply

Mummaroo, what do you mean by this " grew climbers on the back fence as a screen mainly to stop the natives coming over the fence". Are you talking about possums, dingos, pray tell what do your words mean?

Mummaroo, i feel aweful just reading this, its discusting what people will do to have their way, i mean threatening to rape children, come on, it is foul.
I cannot imagin the pain you friend must be going through, just the thought that the council mioght turn up at your door and tell you you can now only have 12 hens... after 7 years.. its sickening

purefeather
I was referring to the native people where she lives.The screen was the thorniest rose bushes you could buy.The fence was 8ft high and the natives would scale the fence in a flash and pull down the timber sheds in there yard to use as firewood when the natives were having a session in the back lane.
It was there way of trying to protect there yard.

Riverlook Poultry
They were evil people and my friend is extremely family orientated so her children mean everything to her.They are her world if you know what I mean.So I suppose to threaten the children was a great way of hurting the parents.Trouble is I think these people if they had a chance would have acted.As I said he had a record and that kind of assault was involved.My friend cannot speak about a lot of what went on even now or she falls apart.It is not something they want to remember.