From Evernote:

News: Phoenix neighborhood experiences chickens running loose

Chicken Run II - Suburbia. Coming to a Phoenix theater near you! Enjoy!

Later!

Tater Scot

From the news desk of ilovetater.com

Join fans of Tater on Facebook!

Phoenix neighborhood experiences chickens running loose

Homeowner appeals to city, county to control foraging flock

 

Nick Oza/The Arizona Republic

Chickens strut across a lawn in a neighborhood near 29th Avenue and Latham Street in Phoenix. An area homeowner has complained, but city and county officials say there isn't much they can do to curtail the birds.

by Michelle Ye Hee Lee
The Arizona Republic

Wandering chickens are crossing the roads in a Phoenix neighborhood, but county and city officials say they don't have the authority - or a punch line - to explain why.

The vagabond flock of about five chickens travels among houses near 29th Avenue and West Latham Street, scaling fences, eating grass in people's yards, enjoying the view from rooftops - and irritating at least one local homeowner.

One resident from the neighborhood has asked the city and Maricopa County to control the itinerant chickens, calling them a nuisance.

But officials from both jurisdictions say their hands are tied.

Phoenix's animal ordinance prohibits residents from keeping poultry without written permission. The city has spacing and maintenance requirements for coops to prevent chickens from wandering off their owners' properties. But that applies only to birds whose owners can be identified. The city has no rules for feral chickens.

Maricopa County officials say they're guided by state statute, which authorizes them to control cats and dogs, not chickens.

Lynelle Nowlin, a resident of the neighborhood just south of Interstate 10, said he just wants someone - anyone - to do something about the gallivanting fowl.

"The chickens are proliferating," said Nowlin, 63. "This is not the way our neighborhoods are supposed to be."

The Phoenix Neighborhood Preservation Division normally deals with animal-control issues like these. But until the division's inspectors can prove someone owns or is feeding the chickens, there's no one to cite for violating the city's rules, said Gary New, neighborhood-preservation area supervisor.

"We can only pursue chickens if they belong to a residence," New said.

The situation isn't unique to this neighborhood. City and county officials say they know of a few others that have roaming chickens. But the dilemma of establishing ownership and figuring out who has the jurisdiction to control chickens remains.

The first step is to confirm that these chickens are, in fact, feral. Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox said the county will then call on farm groups that may be interested in trapping the chickens.

But some farmers are concerned these chickens carry diseases, said Rodrigo Silva, assistant county manager for community collaboration and director of the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control Unit.

For now, the county is waiting until the city can confirm that nobody owns the birds.

Not all residents of the area think the roaming chickens are a big deal.

"I really don't mind," Mariana Andrade said. "They don't come to our house. We don't have a problem with the chickens."

Full Article

From the news desk of ilovetater.com

Join fans of Tater on Facebook!