Chickens have their place …
just not in residential area
To the editor:
I am responding to a letter, published Oct. 31, from Mari Cochran regarding chickens. Mrs. Cochran seems to believe that you should be able to raise farm animals in a residential neighborhood in spite of the effect it has on very close neighbors.
I did contact the code officer, representing several residents at a senior apartment complex. This started a year ago with being awakened every morning at 4:30 with their roosters crowing, that was taken care of but it took weeks, by last fall the odor was becoming stronger as the chickens grew, by this summer, night after night when it was warm and humid and we had any breeze at all we had to get up and close our bedroom windows, the smell from chickens isn’t pleasant if anyone has ever lived on a farm, and I grew up on one. I have nothing against raising animals, I do object to raising them within 50 to 70 yards of my living room and bedroom windows. Mrs. Cochran mentioned horse, and other animals, so how far would this go in a back yard in the city limits?
There was testimony on the Cochrans’ behalf at the Appeals Board, none lived in the neighborhood but one, she lives on another street with a heavy line of trees between her and the Cochrans, there were two or three written statements from people that are not in a direct line to get the odor, one statement was obtained from a 92-year-old tenant with dementia, which her family has addressed.
As for not making money, they were selling eggs, they say they aren’t anymore, but a family member of mine bought eggs from them.
So I would question other residents of the city of Presque Isle, do you want farm animals next door to your backyard? Do you want to smell this terrible odor every time you go out to enjoy a nice warm evening?
Yes, I complained, not loudly, just by contacting the code officer, I even asked him to my home one afternoon when the stench inside my apartment was very bad. On certain days it was worse than others, depending on the humidity and the wind direction.
If this case is allowed to continue, I feel they will add other animals and some of you may wake up someday and find you have farm animals in your neighborhood. When I look out my living room or bedroom window, I’m looking right at this chicken coop. I would invite any city official to see this first hand, come to 53 Dyer Street — the main parking lot. You will be right at the chicken coop if you stay right into the lot.
Mona Blanchard
Presque Isle
