We're playing with the idea of getting a small coop with 3-4 hens.

Looked it up and Houston allows you to have hens (not roosters) in your back yard as long as you follow the BARC laws and neighbor distance regulations. What about HOAs? I looked it up in past threads but I can't find a definitive answer. 

It's prohibited in our HOA covenants:

"No animals, livestock or poultry of any kind shall be raised, bred or kept on any lot. . . " [except dogs or cats]. . .(p. 5, protective covenants, paragraph 10 - Elm Grove I). 

I don't know what your experience is but chicken coops are nasty. There are plenty of places for fresh eggs and chicken with no hormones and stuff.

Try it out but be warned. There's a good reason people stopped raising there own stuff years ago. 

You live in the city of houston. Most HOA's prohibit them and will have the animal control come and remove them if found. It's a violation of your deed. 

You can get fresh eggs at Knox Feed off of 494. The also carry locally sourced honey. 

Wow. Chicken coops? 

If city of Houston says it's okay and HOA says no, what do you do? 

It's prohibited in our HOA covenants:

BOOOOO!

Well I guess that idea is a bust. It wasn't about fresh eggs. I thought it would be a cool family thing to do and manage with the kids. The idea of having our old dog laying down with chickens crawling all over her started the conversation.

This video sold it for us.



Our coop would have been smaller than in the video though. More like this picture. 

They crap all over the place and spew coccidiosis all over the place. Fly heaven. 

Wow. Chicken coops?


CAN"T YOU READ??!! 

I research this many years ago. Thought the nitrogen in chicken poop would be excellent for our lawn. Had a rolling coop plans to move it from place to place. Was going to share eggs with my neighbors who supported my venture. Searched forums for friendly layers so the kids could interact. But then I thought of the bloody mess I would cone out to if a raccoon were to get past my safe guards. That would be too much for me to handle! 

I don't even like chicken. Eggs are only good in a well orchestrated omlette. 

There's a reason that country farms have the hen house a good distance from the people house....it stinks. Chickens not only attract snakes...they will make your neighbor's dogs go nuts. 

country farms have the hen house a good distance from the people house.

We were going to clean the poop daily and frequently up keeping the hay/wood shavings. There's a difference from having this...


AND what I was thinking which was this...
 

What's the HOA going to do? Write a nasty sounding letter and whine on KU?

As long as your immediate neighbors don't oppose it, I would go for it anyway. 

Do it. Just name them as pets. Rhode Island reds are really quiet. 

I used to live in Gainesville, GA, Chicken capital of the world. Yes, their town center statue was a chicken. I frequently got stuck in traffic behind chicken haulers, flatbeds with cages and cages of chickens, stunned to the max. (you can't process them dead) Occasionally, one of them would escape, sleep it off and run the streets. I guess that is why I don't like chickens. 

This whole feed cracks me up! I have lived in Kingwood for quite some time and for the last four years I have raised chickens in my backyard the only time I got in any trouble was when we had taken in what we thought was a hen that turned out to be a rooster when It got older and started crowing and HOA caught me because they would walk the neighborhood and check for violations and they heard him I got rid of the rooster kept my hens never heard another word. As far as smell flies snakes or anything like that we have dogs to and I can tell you that dog poop smells way worse than chicken poop. We never had any problems with flies nor smells and all of my neighbors love the fact that I give them fresh eggs. It definitely can be done but just talk to the people around you and get how they feel about it first! PM me if you have any questions about raising chickens!! 

Now you have me wanting chickens again!
Go for it. Dr. Aborto!! I wish I had! 

Go for it. Dr. Aborto!! I wish I had!?

Dammit, I've gotten letters from the HOA for edging my lawn and grime on my siding. I would hate to have to invest $200+ on a coop to only have to get rid of it a little bit later. Still sounds like fun though. Hmmm, must ponder on it longer. Still can't happen until my MIL with her 2 dogs move out though. 

I donated my chicken coop books to the library. Look for them. 

Still can't happen until my MIL with her 2 dogs move out though.


Then you will be too old. lol 

The chickens will contribute to your family more than your MIL. Just saying. 

I would have thought everyone in texas had chickens in their yards... 

The chickens will contribute to your family more than your MIL. Just saying.


They'll squawk a lot and sh*t on everything.

(Sorry, couldn't pass that up). 

Quote:

steinhoister2016 --- 1 min ago - quote - hide comments I would have thought everyone in texas had chickens in their yards...

Only in the 5th ward you racist... 

What's the HOA going to do? Write a nasty sounding letter and whine on KU?

More like put a lien against your house and property and take control. You'll be kicked out and homeless. Don't mess with an HOA in Texas, they have more rights than anywhere and can honestly do whatever they want with no regard to the homeowner, but hey, go for it! 

I wouldnt. Do you want them as pets mainly or for eggs? They are noisy and dirty and need lots of space to be happy. Birds in a coup is a yucky lifestyle. You can get fresh natural eggs around fairly easily. If you want a different pet, get a cat. Lol 

I would have thought everyone in texas had chickens in their yards...

Stereotypes are a bad thing. One might think everyone in Oregon was a pothead closeted homosexual lumberjack incapable of pumping their own gas. 

More like put a lien against your house and property and take control. You'll be kicked out and homeless. Don't mess with an HOA in Texas, they have more rights than anywhere and can honestly do whatever they want with no regard to the homeowner, but hey, go for it! ....

When you enter into an HOA they can literally take away your home and will if you violate their terms. I've seen people in Houston without HOA's had them removed from their homes and fined per chicken on their property. Don't do it in the burbs you're going to get caught. 

It wouldn't let it get that crazy. I'm sure I would get multiple warnings before they take my house. Which would give me plenty of time to move the chickens to the attic. kidding. 

CAN"T YOU READ??!!

Can you not comprehend? 

HOAs have no power to take your house anymore. They can fine you, and take you to court if you don't pay them. That is all. 

When you enter into an HOA they can literally take away your home and will if you violate their terms.

Yes but its a long and arduous process. First, you have to be indebted to the HOA via fees or for services that the HOA contracted for to bring your property into compliance.

Once indebted, they can place a lien on your property. Once the lien is established they can foreclose. 

There are quite a few coops in the backyards of pine breeze and long leaf drive in Greentree. Roosters and all! Surprised the HOA hasnt investigated - there are several large sheds that you can see from the street. 

Do the chickens have large talons? 

^^^^^ funny of the day.

Thanks, 4P 

The HOA was contacted today on Pine Breeze. 

The HOA was contacted today on Pine Breeze.?

That's Cra @py! If their neighbors don't care why should anyone else? Someone must be jealous. 

Make chicken tractors so you can move them around the yard.