fpa faq (word)

8/10/2019 FPA FAQ (word)

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Frequently Asked QuestionsPrepared by Sustainable Food Denver (www.sustainablefooddenver.org)

Note: Throughout this document, the term Food-Producing Animals

is often abbreviated as FPAs.

To jump to a specific question in te list! old down te "control# $ey and clic$ on tequestion.

General Food Producing Animals Information

%at are Food&Producing 'nimals%y would someone want to raise FP's in teir bac$yardf you want to live tis way! wy don*t you just move to te country+ow are urban residents going to learn ow to properly care for tese animals

About the Proposed Food-Producing Animals Ordinance, and ommunity oncerns%ill tis ordinance ma$e fowl and dwarf goats "legal# in Denver,an you tell me a little about te current system tat*s in place%at*s wrong wit te current system%at are te main tings tat te proposed ordinance would cange%ould tis ordinance ta$e te neigborood organi-ations out of te process%ill FP's in te city decrease my property value%ould need to get a license in order to ave FP'sigt cic$ens sounds li$e a lot. %y so many%ill te city become overrun wit cic$ens! duc$s! and dwarf goatsSouldn*t te city impose some $ind of limit on te total number of animals (dogs! cats!

cic$ens! goats! etc) you can ave as an accessory use%y are only dwarf goats allowed! and not te full&si-ed version%at can a neigbor do if tere is a problem wit smell! noise! or animals being cared forimproperlys slaugtering allowed in residential districts%at if someone wanted to sell eggs or mil$ from teir animals+ow muc space am required to ave for my fowl and/or dwarf goats%at $ind of selter is required under te ordinance're tere any rules about were te animals* selter as to be located're tere any rules about fencing for te animals%at about te animals temselves %ere can tey venture on my property

+as Denver ever passed an ordinance similar to tis one +ow did tat wor$ out're tere oter cities tat ave Food&Producing 'nimal rules similar to wat Denver isconsidering+as anyone done a study on te effects of allowing Food&Producing 'nimals li$ecic$ens in an urban setting+ow can we be sure tat passing te ordinance won*t create a big problemsn*t tere a ballot initiative in te wor$s to allow cic$ens ('nd wat will appen if,ity ,ouncil doesn*t pass te FP' ordinance)


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%at is te timeline for getting te FP' ordinance passed

!asic Information About Food-Producing Animals

Fowl (+en ,ic$ens 0 Duc$s)

%at $inds of fowl are allowed under te new ordinance+ow large are fowlDo fowl ma$e a lot of noiseDo small urban floc$s smell badDo urban fowl attract predators to te neigboroodDo small urban floc$s carry diseases+ow many eggs does a floc$ of cic$ens or duc$s lay eac days fowl manure to1ic're fowl a treat to cildren're fowl able to fly over fences%at are te benefits to owning fowl! besides eggs

Dwarf 2oats%at do you mean by "dwarf goats#+ow big are dwarf goatss tere a restriction on te gender of te goatsDo dwarf goats ma$e a lot of noiseDo dwarf goats smell badDo dwarf goats carry diseasesf goats need vaccinations! ten wy isn*t tat required in te ordinance+ow muc mil$ does a dwarf goat produces dwarf goat manure to1ic're dwarf goats a treat to cildren're dwarf goats able to jump over fences%at are te benefits to owning dwarf goats! besides mil$

aring For Food-Producing Animals

Fowl (,ic$ens 0 Duc$s)+ow muc space do fowl need're te minimum space requirements adequate to raise fowl in a ealty and safe way%at sould $now about coosing a selter for my fowlDo duc$s need water to play in%at do fowl eat+ow do dispose of te manure from my fowl+ow long do fowl live+ow long do fowl lay eggs%at are my options once my fowl stop laying eggs%at if decide no longer want to $eep my fowl


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Dwarf 2oatss it o$ if just own one dwarf goat instead of two+ow muc space do dwarf goats need%at do dwarf goats eat+ow do dispose of te manure from my dwarf goats

Do goats ave to ave babies to produce mil$+ow many babies does a goat typically ave at once+ow will find omes for te babies+ow long do dwarf goats produce mil$f intact male goats aren*t allowed! ow will breed my goats+ow long do dwarf goats live%at are my options once my dwarf goat stops producing mil$%at if decide no longer want to $eep my dwarf goats%at if want to own more tan 3 fowl or 4 dwarf dairy goats! or if want to own ananimal tat isn*t specified in te proposed ordinance

General Food-Producing Animals Information

"hat are Food-Producing Animals#

Food&Producing 'nimals (FP')! for te purpose of tis discussion! are cic$ens!duc$s! and dwarf dairy goats.

"hy $ould someone $ant to raise FPAs in their backyard#

Tere are a wide variety of reasons wy urban dwellers coose to raise Food&Producing 'nimals.

+ealt 5 +ome&raised eggs and dairy ave been sown to contain more "goodstuff# (li$e vitamins and omega&6 fatty acids) and less "bad stuff# (colesterol andsaturated fats) tan teir conventionally raised counterparts. Plus! it is easier to ensuretat te animals aven*t been given antibiotics and ormones if you*re raising te animalsyourself. Tere are also many people wo are unable to digest cow*s mil$! but can easilydigest goat*s mil$.

nvironmental 5 ac item of food in te 'merican diet travels an average of7899 miles from te farm to te table. +ome food production reduces te use of fossilfuels (and te accompanying pollution) from transporting food. 'lso! te vast majority ofeggs and dairy are produced in ,oncentrated 'nimal Feed :perations (,'F:s)! wicpollute surface and ground water.

Food Safety 0 Security 5 Food tat is produced in ,'F:s is vulnerable tocontamination from food&borne bacteria li$e coli and salmonella. Plus! bac$yard Food&Producing 'nimals can provide a reliable (and inflation&proof) source of ealty proteinfor families. ;ess tan 7< of te food tat is consumed in Denver is produced in,olorado. Tat leaves our residents e1tremely vulnerable to disruptions in te foodsystem due to e1treme weater or oter catastropes.

conomic 5 t used to be common $nowledge (not to mention common sense)tat raising one*s own mil$ or eggs was ceaper tan buying tem from te store. Tese


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read about te current system in detail by going ere?ttp?//www.eatwereulive.com/sfdcurrent.tm

"hat&s $rong $ith the current system#

Te process is unnecessarily e1pensive! and te costs are completely

disproportionate to te licensing requirements for oter animals (suc as dogs). Te e1pense required to secure a permit unfairly penali-es low&income families!

wo are te ones tat stand to benefit most from te economic advantages of$eeping food&producing animals.

Te process is unreasonably bureaucratic! difficult to navigate! and timeconsuming. >ost of te wor$ required to secure a permit must be conductedduring business ours.

Te time requirements are especially proibitive for low&income families! wo

may ave longer wor$ ours wit less fle1ibility.

:ur current process assumes problems wit te animals (suc as odor and noise)

before tey occur. Te e1isting animal code as well&defined strategies for

dealing wit animal noise! odor! and neglect issues wen tey occur. t ma$esmore sense to apply our e1isting rules to food&producing animals if and wentere is a problem! rater tan penali-ing potential owners beforeand.

;aws tat govern te lifestyle of people living in close pro1imity must balance

individual freedoms wit te rigts of neigbors to dictate protocol for te area.

"hat are the main things that the proposed ordinance $ould change#

Te proposed ordinance would remove te requirement of te animal controlpermit and te -oning use permit for te $eeping of a limited number of FP's (up to 3female cic$ens or duc$s and up to 4 dwarf goats)! and replace it wit a low&cost! onetime 'nimal ,ontrol license.Tese animals can be $ept as an accessory use in any -onedistrict.

Te ordinance would include guidelines tat dictate were te FP' selter mustbe placed on te property! te amount of permeable land required per animal! fencing!and access to a adequate selter.

Te following rules are currently true! and would remain in place under te newordinance? Te FP's are subject to laws regarding animal noise! odor! nuisance! andcruelty/abuse. Slaugtering is not allowed anywere in te city as an accessory use.

"ould this ordinance take the neighborhood organiations out of the process#

Te current permitting process does include notification of @G:s andsurrounding neigbors. +owever! at te time of te notification! te resident as not yet

acquired te Food Producing 'nimals. n fact! most residents donHt even construct a coopor a fence until tey ave completed te permitting process.

%en evaluating public input during te permitting process! te Boning'dministrator is required to only consider complaints tat ave to do wit te residentHsability to fulfill te guidelines of te ordinance. Since te resident does not yet owncic$ens or goats! it would be difficult for an @G: or neigbor to raise concerns aboutanimals tat donHt yet e1ist. ,ommunity Planning 0 Development (-oning) as not found


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te above process to be elpful or useful! wic is wy tey ave supported te creationof a new Food Producing 'nimals ordinance.

%ile te proposed new FP' ordinance does not contain a -oning permit!neigbors still ave protections. f te animals are creating a problem wit smell! noise!

or any oter sort of nuisance! ten te neigbor as recourse troug Geigboroodnspection Services and/or 'nimal ,are 0 ,ontrol. Te Food Producing 'nimal ownercan receive fines! an order to appear in court! jail time! and/or te removal of te animals.

"ill FPAs in the city decrease my property %alue#

Tere is no evidence to sow tat tis will be te case. Some of te cities wit teigest property values in te country 5 li$e Gew Eor$ ,ity! Seattle! and Portland 5 allowte $eeping of FP's. :ne can reasonably assume tat if FP' ordinances resulted in adecrease in residents* quality of life (wit a corresponding decrease in property values)!ten cities wic ad passed FP' ordinances would be ta$ing steps to repeal teirordinance as soon as possible. nstead! te opposite is occurring. Fort ,ollins and

;ongmont bot ad sunset provisions written into teir initial FP' ordinances! wicwould ave allowed tem to easily revo$e te ordinance after one year. Geiter citycose to invo$e te sunset wen te first year was over! tereby leaving teir FP'ordinances intact. Seattle as recently ta$en steps to e1pand its FP' ordinance! goingfrom 6 ens and 6 dwarf goats up to 3 ens and 6 dwarf goats.

t is true tat any animal tat is not being properly $ept 5 weter it*s a dog! acic$en! or a dwarf goat 5 will negatively impact te neigborood. Terefore! allanimals in Denver are subject to laws regarding noise! odor! nuisance! and cruelty/abuse.

"ould I need to get a license in order to ha%e FPAs#

Ees. Te Department of nvironmental +ealt (troug 'nimal ,are and,ontrol) will be issuing FP' licenses. Tis is a one&time! low cost (probably around C49)license tat will give te owner permission to ave up to 3 female fowl and up to 4 dwarfdairy goats. Te license does not need to be renewed! because tere is no need for proofof vaccinations. Iaccinations of cic$ens and goats are not required to protect publicealt in ,olorado.

Te purpose of te license is two&fold. First! it will allow 'nimal ,ontrol to $nowwere tese animals are in te city. f animals were to escape (wic doesn*t appenoften) 'nimal ,ontrol could return tem ome! and 'nimal ,ontrol could also contact allcity cic$en/goat owners if necessary. n addition! te license process will give 'nimal,ontrol te opportunity to distribute information to all future FP' owners. Tisinformation will cover wat is required under te ordinance! suggested "best practices#for $eeping te animals! and resources FP' owners can utili-e to learn more.

ight chickens sounds like a lot. "hy so many#

f a family was $eeping eigt laying ens tey could e1pect up to 6 do-en eggs awee$. Tere are some larger families tat consume tat many eggs. +owever! te primaryreason for allowing up to 3 female fowl is to give families some leeway if tey want to$eep teir older animals as pets. t is advisable for families to start wit just 6 or J ens!and ten add 4 new ens to teir floc$ every 6 years or so. Tat allows families to $eep


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First of all! if you tal$ wit urban FP's owners! you*ll find tat te vast majorityof tem care for teir animals quite well. Secondly! in tis country we don*t ma$e lawsbased on te lowest common denominator. f we did! no one would be able to purcasealcool! no one could buy a gun! and no one would be able to drive a car. %e ma$e tedecision! as a society! to afford certain liberties to te general population! even toug

tose liberties may be abused in te ands of a few. %e ave rules in place to deal witnoise! odor! nuisance! and cruelty/abuse issues.

"hat can a neighbor do if there is a problem $ith smell, noise, or animals being

cared for improperly#

f te $eeping of FP's in creating a problem! te best remedy for a neigbor is todial "677.# Te 677 operator will refer te complaint to eiter Geigborood nspectionServices or 'nimal ,ontrol! depending on te nature of te complaint. Te GS/',officer can ta$e te following steps?

& ssue a cease and desist order& ssue an administrative citation wit escalating fines (C789! C899! CLLL)

& ssue a 2eneral Iiolation! wic requires te omeowner to appear in courtn addition! 'nimal ,ontrol as te rigt to confiscate te animals! if it feels tat teaction is warranted.

Is slaughtering allo$ed in residential districts#

Go. Slaugtering is illegal now! and it will remain illegal under te newordinance. Slaugtering is not allowed as an accessory use in 'GE -one districts in tecity. Tose found to ave slaugtered teir animals in te city can be subject to a trip tocourt! one year in prison! and a fine of up to CLLL.

"hat if someone $anted to sell eggs or milk from their animals#

First! it*s important to note tat te proposed FP' ordinance was written wit teintention tat te food produced in bac$yards would be for personal/family consumption.Go one could possibly maintain a successful commercial egg or mil$ operation wit just3 fowl or 4 dwarf goats.

Te selling of eggs or mil$ actually encompasses two separate issues. Te first iste ealt regulations around selling eggs or mil$ (or vegetables or fruit) from a ome&based operation. Tese regulations are written and enforced by te State Department ofnvironmental +ealt. Te city of Denver as absolutely noting to do wit tis. %ilete city is not encouraging te sale of mil$ or eggs! anyone wo wants to $now moreabout te ealt regulations regarding teir sale sould contact te State.

Te second issue deals wit te selling of any item from a residential lot. Gomatter wat we*re tal$ing about 5 weter it*s eggs! tomatoes! or baby sweaters 5 te citydoes not allow you to sell anyting from your ome. Eou can grow tomatoes or $nit babysweaters at ome! but if you want to sell tem you must first transport tem to acommercial/business -oned area. So! te same would ypotetically be true for eggs ormil$. +owever! once you transported your product to a commercial/business area! teState Department of nvironmental +ealt would ave an opinion as to weter or notyou were allowed to sell tem.


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(o$ much space am I required to ha%e for my fo$l and4or d$arf goats#

Eou must ave at least 7N square feet of permeable space per fowl! and at least769 square feet of permeable space per dwarf goat. "Permeable space# refers to dirt orgrass! as opposed to concrete. FP's can not be $ept on balconies.

"hat kind of shelter is required under the ordinance#Eou must provide your animals wit a selter tat is adequate to safely containtem and protect tem from te elements. 'nimal ,are 0 ,ontrol is developingguidelines for wat constitutes adequate selter. Tis means tat cic$en! duc$! anddwarf goat selters will be evaluated in e1actly te same way tat selters are currentlyevaluated for oter outside animals li$e dogs (and! in fact! te way te cic$en/goatselters are evaluated under te current ordinance). %en future FP' owners go to getteir license tey will receive information about providing adequate selter for teiranimals.

Are there any rules about $here the animals& shelter has to be located#

Ees. Ander te proposed new ordinance! te selter must be located on te rear89< of te property. n addition! it must be at least 78 feet away from a neigbor*sdwelling.

Are there any rules about fencing for the animals#

Te animals must be contained beind fencing tat is adequate to prevent escape.

"hat about the animals themsel%es# "here can they %enture on my property#

Te animals must be $ept in te rear 89< of te lot. Te animals can wanderfreely in teir fenced area.

(as +en%er e%er passed an ordinance similar to this one# (o$ did that $ork out#

Te proposed FP' ordinance is modeled in part on Denver*s successful bac$yardbee$eeping ordinance (it is also modeled after FP' ordinances in oter citiesM see ne1tquestion). n order to $eep bees in Denver you do not need to get a permit. +owever!tere are rules limiting te number of ives you can ave witout a permit! and rulesregarding were tose ives must be $ept on your property. Tis balance 5 no permit! butrules regarding ow te bees must be $ept 5 as sown to be a successful way tointegrate bee$eeping into te city and provides an appropriate model for FP' regulation.

Are there other cities that ha%e Food-Producing Animal rules similar to $hat

+en%er is considering#

Ees. Tere are many! many cities across te country tat allow te $eeping ofFP's! and more cities are altering teir laws in favor of FP's every wee$. Kust a fewe1amples? Seattle! ,icago! and Portland allow bot en fowl and dwarf dairy goatswitout any sort of permit. Gew Eor$ ,ity and ;os 'ngeles allow an unlimited numberof fowl witout a permit. ,olorado Springs and ;ittleton bot allow limited numbers offowl (79 and J! respectively) witout a permit. Fort ,ollins and ;ongmont allowcic$ens wit a simple permit (te process is muc less comple1 tan wat is currentlyrequired in Denver).


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(as anyone done a study on the effects of allo$ing Food-Producing Animals like

chickens in an urban setting#

+ug =artling! a public policy professor at DePaul Aniversity! recently did astudy wic evaluated te impact of cic$en ordinances on 46 cities across te country.

+is study posed a variety of questions to city staff! including wat tey felt te overallimpact was to te city. 'll of te cities responded tat te impact of teir cic$enordinance was eiter "positive# or "neutral.# Eou can read more by clic$ing ere?ttp?//bit.ly/gG7'$w

(o$ can $e be sure that passing the ordinance $on&t create a big problem#

t is understandable tat urban residents may be appreensive about FoodProducing 'nimals in te city. Predators! quality of life! and property values are allcommonly voiced concerns. +owever! it is telling to loo$ at wat as appened wenoter cities ave passed Food Producing 'nimals ordinances.

Fort ,ollins and ;ongmont recently passed cic$en ordinances. Te ordinances

ad a one year Osunset!O so te city ad te option of revo$ing te ordinance after a year.Geiter Fort ,ollins nor ;ongmont cose to invo$e te sunset once te first year passed.Seattle previously allowed 6 cic$ens and 6 goats witout a permit. n 4979! teye1panded teir Food Producing 'nimals ordinance to 3 cic$ens and 6 goats witout apermit.

f te commonly voiced concerns (predators! property values! etc) about urbanFood Producing 'nimals were actually a problem for cities! we sould e1pect to seecities wit FP' ordinances moving to revo$e or restrict teir ordinances at te firstopportunity. nstead! te opposite is appening && cities are allowing teir ordinances toremain in place! and in some cases are even e1panding tem.

Isn&t there a ballot initiati%e in the $orks to allo$ chickens# 0And $hat $ill happen

if ity ouncil doesn&t pass the FPA ordinance#1

Tere is a group in Denver tat as been gatering signatures for a citi-en*s ballotinitiative to allow N cic$ens witout a permit. Te ballot initiative does specify tat noroosters are allowed! but tere are no specific guidelines regarding ow te animals are tobe $ept. Te ballot initiative doesn*t contain any guidelines regarding permeable space(cic$ens could be $ept on balconies or on pavement) or te placement of selters (acic$en coop could be put rigt under a neigbor*s $itcen window).

Te group proposing te ballot initiative as agreed not to put te issue on te>ay ballot! so tat te FP' ordinance as te opportunity to go troug ,ity ,ouncil. %ebelieve tat te ordinance is a better option for Denver! because it was crafted by teagencies tat are responsible for monitoring problems in our neigborood (,ommunityPlanning 0 Development and 'nimal ,ontrol) and because te ordinance addresses te$eeping of FP's in an urban conte1t.

+owever! if ,ity ,ouncil fails to pass te compreensive FP' ordinance! teciti-en*s ballot initiative 5 wit its lac$ of specific guidelines regarding te $eeping ofFP's && will very li$ely appear on te Govember ballot.

"hat is the timeline for getting the FPA ordinance passed#
http://bit.ly/gN1Akwhttp://bit.ly/gN1Akw


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+ere are some upcoming public events for te FP' ordinance?Public nformational Forum>ay t

N?99&?69pmTe Tivoli at 'uraria ,ampus! @oom 649S

Denver Planning =oard>ay 7Nt

6?99pm%ebb =uilding! @oom J.F.N

;and Ase! Transportation! and nfrastructure ,ommittee>ay 44nd

,ity and ,ounty =uilding! @oom 6L7

n addition! tere will be a >ayor/,ouncil meeting! te first reading of te

ordinance before ,ity ,ouncil! and te public earing/,ity ,ouncil vote. Te ,ity,ouncil vote is sceduled for >ay 7Nt.

!asic Information About Food-Producing Animals

Fo$l 0(en hickens 5 +ucks1

"hat kinds of fo$l are allo$ed under the ne$ ordinance#

Te proposed new ordinance addresses te $eeping of female cic$ens and duc$s(wic are bot called "ens#). 'ny breed of female cic$ens and most breeds of femaleduc$s will be allowed! but te ordinance may proibit te $eeping of "call# duc$s

witout a permit. @oosters are not allowed under te proposed ordinance.

(o$ large are fo$l#

@egular (sometimes called "standard#) ens weig between J&N pounds. =antam+ens weig 7&4 pounds. Duc$ weigt varies based on breed! but is typically between 4&Npounds.

+o fo$l make a lot of noise#

Female cic$ens are generally very quiet! and duc$s are also quiet wen tey*rewell cared for. ,ic$ens may cluc$ a little bit wen tey are laying an egg! and duc$smay quac$ as a greeting! but it is significantly quieter tan a dog bar$. (Te e1ception to

tis are call duc$s! wic may not be allowed under te new ordinance.) :nce it*s dar$outside cic$ens go completely silent. Tey can*t see at all in te dar$! and tey un$erdown and don*t ma$e a peep. @oosters are te noisy ones (te animals tat crow wen tesun rises) and are not appropriate for te city.

+o small urban flocks smell bad#

,ic$ens or duc$s raised in a small bac$yard floc$ ave very little in commonwit cic$ens in a large! commercial operation. %en cic$ens are given adequate space


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and proper bedding (straw or pine savings)! teir manure does not build up and causeodor issues. Te manure tat does e1ist can be easily removed and properly disposed of.

+o urban fo$l attract predators to the neighborhood#

Small mammal predators are a fact of life in te city. :utdoor cats! squirrels!

birds! and (most especially) our garbage all ensure tat predators will continue to stic$around. n fact! wit our city*s tras system! tere are probably several dead cic$ensrigt now on every bloc$ in Denver. Tey*re in te dumpsters 5 te cic$en carcassestat people trow away after dinner! or grocery store rotisseries trow out wole if teydon*t sell by te end of te day. Tis isn*t to say tat if you put a live cic$en in front of afo1 ten te fo1 won*t eat it! but it*s not correct to tin$ tat a few cic$ens would impactte predator population wen tere is already suc a vast abundance of available food fortem to eat.

Tere are multiple cities trougout te countrytat ave enacted FP'ordinances. :ne can reasonably assume tat if FP' ordinances resulted in an increase inurban predators! ten cities wic ad passed FP' ordinances would be ta$ing steps to

repeal teir ordinance as soon as possible. nstead! te opposite is occurring. Fort ,ollinsand ;ongmont bot ad sunset provisions written into teir initial FP' ordinances! wicwould ave allowed tem to easily revo$e te ordinance after one year. Geiter citycose to invo$e te sunset wen te first year was over! tereby leaving teir FP'ordinances intact. Seattle as recently ta$en steps to e1pand its FP' ordinance! goingfrom 6 ens and 6 dwarf goats up to 3 ens and 6 dwarf goats.

+o small urban flocks carry diseases#

' veterinarian testifying at a cic$en earing in 2reeley (and quoted in te2reeley Tribune) said tat tere are 74&7J diseases tat cats and dogs carry wic can betransferred to umans! compared to just 4&6 tat could be carried by cic$ens or duc$s.Sometimes people worry about cic$ens carrying te "bird flu.# Te fact is tat wildbirds carry many strains of bird flu! just as umans carry many strains of uman flu. >oststrains of bird flu do not infect umans! and bird flu does not pass troug te air. Tereave not been any cases of te more dangerous bird flu strain (+8G7) in te A.S. f terewere to be an outbrea$ of +8G7! it is most li$ely to appen in a crowded ,oncentrated'nimals Feed :peration (oterwise $nown as a "factory farm#). So! te more we candecrease our collective support of ,'F:s! te less li$ely we are to e1pose ourselves as asociety to animal diseases.

(o$ many eggs does a flock of chickens or ducks lay each day#

Te number of eggs a cic$en or duc$ owner can e1pect varies considerablydepending on te time of year (fowl lay more in te summer and less in te winter) andow old te animal is (laying will decrease as te bird ages). Te general rule is tat youcan e1pect 4 eggs per day for every 6 birds.

Is fo$l manure to6ic#

Fowl manure is remar$ably safe! especially wen compared to dog and cat feces.%ile dogs and cats are wonderful! teir feces are to1ic to umans (cat feces can even


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contain to1oplasmosis) and cannot be used in compost or to fertili-e a garden. +owever!fowl manure is a wonderful addition to compost! and can also be used as garden fertili-er.

Are fo$l a threat to children#

Female cic$ens and duc$s do not bite or act aggressively toward cildren.

Are fo$l able to fly o%er fences#

2enerally spea$ing! a J&foot fence is adequate to $eep cic$ens contained. :fcourse! iger fences would be even more effective! and cic$ens can also be $eptcontained in a fully enclosed poultry run. f a fowl owner as a cic$en tat is ane1ceptionally good flyer! te owner can trim te featers on one of te wings andeffectively "ground# te bird. Duc$s sould always ave trimmed wings to prevent fligt.

"hat are the benefits to o$ning fo$l, besides eggs#

Fowl are great at quic$ly recycling food and garden scraps into useable fertili-er.>any fowl owners find tat feeding teir leftovers to te cic$ens and duc$s is a muc

more efficient way of composting tan te tradition "mi1ing greens and browns# metod.,ic$ens also enjoy eating bugs! wic some people find elpful. @aising bac$yardFood&Producing 'nimals is a great way to involve cildren in a family project were teyfeel li$e tey*re ma$ing a real contribution. Plus! cic$ens and duc$s can be great pets.Tey ave distinctive personalities! and can be very social.

+$arf Goats

"hat do you mean by )d$arf goats#*

%e are referring specifically to Gigerian Dwarf or 'frican Pygmy breeds of goat.

(o$ big are d$arf goats#

Female Gigerian Dwarf goats usually reac a weigt of about 88 pounds wentey*re fully grown. %eter (neutered male) goats can weig up to 9 pounds. Gigeriansreac a eigt of 7L inces at te soulder (4J inces at te top of teir ead). 'fricanPygmy goats are a bit smaller. Te females weig around J8 pounds! and weters canweig 88 pounds. Pygmy goats are about 7N inces tall at te soulder. Tese animals areabout te si-e of a golden retriever.

Is there a restriction on the gender of the goats#

Te proposed new Food&Producing 'nimals ordinance addresses te $eeping offemale (doe) and neutered male (weter) goats. An&neutered or intact male goats (buc$s)emit a strong aroma! and are not considered suitable for te city.

+o d$arf goats make a lot of noise#

2oats bleat occasionally! but te average goat bleat is quieter tan te average dogbar$. 'lso! remember tat some dogs bar$ wen a person wal$s by! or if tey see asquirrel! or if tey*re defending teir territory! or if tey*re bored. 2oats don*t bleat in


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Are d$arf goats a threat to children#

Female and neutered male (weter) goats do not bite or beave aggressivelytoward people. t is recommended tat goat owners get teir goats disbudded (deorned)wen te goats are babies! to minimi-e te ris$ of goats getting teir orns caugt infencing or injuring anoter goat troug typical goat play.

Are d$arf goats able to 'ump o%er fences#

2oats are notorious for being miscievous! but a J&foot fence is sufficient to $eepa dwarf goat contained.

"hat are the benefits to o$ning d$arf goats, besides milk#

2oats are great at quic$ly recycling vegetarian food and garden scraps intouseable fertili-er. >any goat owners find tat feeding teir leftovers to te animals is amuc more efficient way of composting tan te tradition "mi1ing greens and browns#metod. 2oats are also great i$ing companions! and can even carry a small pac$Q (Tedoggie bac$pac$s available at pet stores wor$ well for tis.) @aising bac$yard Food&

Producing 'nimals is a great way to involve cildren in a family project were tey feelli$e tey*re ma$ing a real contribution. Plus! dwarf goats are great pets. Tey are said tobe as intelligent as dogs! and become very attaced to teir owners.

aring for Food-Producing Animals

Fo$l 0hickens 5 +ucks1

(o$ much space do fo$l need#

Te trut is tat te more space you can give your fowl! te appier tey*ll be andte easier it will be to $eep tings clean. +owever! it is possible to be a responsible urban

fowl owner even if you don*t ave lots of space. For te purposes of raising a small urbanfloc$! 79 square feet of permeable space per bird is te commonly accepted minimumstandard. +owever! Denver*s proposed FP' ordinance requires at least 7N square feet ofpermeable space per bird! so Denver residents will need to provide at least tat mucground for teir cic$ens or duc$s.

n terms of selter space! te proper minimums vary depending on te setup youave for your birds. Some cic$en owners ave just one structure! wic serves as botte nigttime! predator&proof enclosure as well as te daytime selter (cic$ens andduc$s must be provided wit a way to be protected from te elements during te day).+owever! oter cic$en owners provide a smaller! predator&proof nigttime enclosure!and ten give te birds a larger daytime seltered space. Eou can reference "Storey*s

2uide to @aising ,ic$ens!# te www.bac$yardcic$ens.com website! or spea$ tosomeone at 'nimal ,are and ,ontrol (dial 677) if you ave specific questions.

Are the minimum space requirements adequate to raise fo$l in a healthy and safe

$ay#

Ees. Te "Storey*s 2uide to @aising ,ic$ens!# wic is a well&respected te1t onte subject of raising bac$yard birds! recommends a minimum of J square feet of "open#(i.e. permeable) space for te largest cic$ens! wic are classified as "eavy# birds. Te


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proposed ordinance requires at least 7N square feet of permeable space per bird! wic isa well&accepted number among urban cic$en owners. +owever! te more space you giveyour fowl te appier tey will be and te easier your job will be as a cic$en owner.

"hat should I kno$ about choosing a shelter for my fo$l#

Te most important ting to $now is tat your fowl*s nigttime selter must bepredator proof. Fowl are especially vulnerable to predators wen it gets dar$! becauseteir nigt vision is quite poor.

+o ducks need $ater to play in#

Duc$s enjoy aving access to water for playing (li$e a $iddie swimming pool)!but it*s not mandatory.

"hat do fo$l eat#

Fowl are omnivores! wic means tat tey can eat most $inds of table scraps.Tey also enjoy eating weeds and most $inds of plant scraps from gardens. t*s good to

also provide fowl wit specially formulated poultry feed! wic can be purcased from anumber of Denver&area feed stores or farmers.

(o$ do I dispose of the manure from my fo$l#

t*s important to note tat fowl manure (unli$e te feces from cats or dogs) is notto1ic to umans and can be safely composted and added to gardens.

7. >anure can be gatered along wit te bedding (straw or pine savings) andcomposted in a covered bin.

4. >anure can be securely bagged and trown away.

(o$ long do fo$l li%e#

' well&cared for cic$en or duc$ could live 3 years! or even a tad longer inunusual cases.

(o$ long do fo$l lay eggs#

,ic$ens and duc$s are most productive in teir first two (and sometimes tree)years of laying. 'fter tat time fowl may continue to lay eggs sporadically! but it will beinfrequent.

"hat are my options once my fo$l stop laying eggs#

Fowl owners ave several options once teir animals stop laying?-eep te fowl as pets. Te li$eliood of families wising to do tis was part of

te impetus for te 3 fowl ma1imum in te new ordinance. Some families are largeenoug to require 3 laying ens at once! but many can get by wit just 6 or J. n teeducational outreac tat will be appening as a part of a new ordinance passing! te cityand sustainability groups will be encouraging families to err on te side of smaller floc$s.' family can start wit 6 laying ens! ten 6 years later add 4 more cic$s! ten 6 yearslater add 4 more cic$s! etc. Te older ens will still lay occasionally! and supplement teproduction of te younger birds. Tis allows families to $eep teir older fowl! becausetey often become pets.


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& @e&ome te cic$ens troug ,raigslist (it is legal to sell/give away livestoc$on ,raigslist) or troug te message board of te 2reater Denver Arban +omesteadersmeetup group (ttp?//www.meetup.com/2reater&Denver&Arban&+omesteaders). Denveras a lot of agricultural land surrounding it! and often te people wo live in tose areasare more tan appy to ta$e unwanted Food&Producing 'nimals. Tese Ocountry fol$O

ave a lot of sense! and arenHt li$ely to turn down a free Food&Producing 'nimals.& Donate te fowl to a wildlife raptor rescue program (li$e te @oc$y >ountain@aptor program) to be used as animal food. Tis allows cic$en owners to safely discardolder birds! wile elping to support te reabilitation of oter animals.

& Tere are places outside of Denver (li$e ;ong Sadow Farm in =ertoudttp?//www.longsadowfarm.com) wo are willing to process fowl for a small fee.

& Fowl owners can ta$e te animals to te veterinarian and ave it eutani-ed.

"hat if I decide I no longer $ant to keep my fo$l#

's we mentioned above! tere are many options for re&oming Food&Producing'nimals li$e cic$ens and duc$s. See answer to previous question.

+$arf Goats

Is it ok if I 'ust o$n one d$arf goat instead of t$o#

Go. 2oats are very social animals! and tey will become distressed (andsometimes ill) if tey are made to live witout a companion. ' dog (or oter non&goatanimal) is not a suitable companion! unless te dog will be living outdoors wit te goat4J ours a day. f you don*t wis to own two does! you can get one doe and one weter (aneutered male) as a companion. %eters are significantly less e1pensive tan does! andcan sometimes be acquired for free.

(o$ much space do d$arf goats need#

Dwarf goats benefit from at least 78 square feet of seltered space per animal!plus at least 769 square feet of outdoor space per animal. So! two goats need a selter(li$e a sed) tat*s at least 69 square feet! and a fenced yard of at least 4N9 square feet.

"hat do d$arf goats eat#

Dwarf goats are erbivores. t is important tat tey always ave access to ay(eiter grass or alfalfa) to maintain ealty digestion. n addition! tey can eat goat grainas a treat! plus weeds and vegetable/fruit table scraps. +ay and goat grain can bepurcased at one of te many feed stores in te Denver metro area.

(o$ do I dispose of the manure from my d$arf goats#

t*s important to note tat goat manure (unli$e te feces from cats or dogs) is notto1ic to umans and can be safely composted and added to gardens.

7. >anure can be gatered along wit te bedding (straw or pine savings) andcomposted in a covered bin.

4. >anure can be securely bagged and trown away.


18/19

+o goats ha%e to ha%e babies to produce milk#

Ees. Kust li$e all mammals (including umans) goats must ave a baby in order toproduce mil$.

(o$ many babies does a goat typically ha%e at once#

Dwarf goats typically give birt to two babies at once! altoug tey can avebetween one and tree (or! very occasionally! four) babies at once.

(o$ $ill I find homes for the babies#

Gigerian Dwarf and 'frican Pygmy goats are in demand! bot in te Denvermetro area and in te more rural communities surrounding Denver. Some people wo areloo$ing to acquire dwarf goats are interested in ome dairy production. :ters wantanimals for J&+ projects! or just as pets for teir cildren. ven if you limit your searc tote areas witin an our*s drive of Denver! tere are a lot of people wit space for goats!and an awful lot of demand (especially for te dwarf breeds). 's an anecdotal e1ample!tere are a couple of dwarf breeders in ,onifer (wo produce F'@ more goat babies

annually tan several Denver goat owners put togeter) and neiter of tem ave anytrouble at all finding omes from teir babies.Te proposed FP' ordinance requires tat dwarf goat babies are re&omed well

before tey reac full adult si-e (before te babies are N monts old). Since babies can beweaned at 3 wee$s! tat is usually te time at wic goat owners send te babies to teirnew ome.

(o$ long do d$arf goats produce milk#

Gigerian Dwarf goats produce mil$ for around 699 days after $idding. 'fricanPygmies ave a sorter lactation 5 around 789 days. f a goat owner as two does! e orse can alternate te goat*s breedings so tat one goat is always producing mil$.

If intact male goats aren&t allo$ed, ho$ $ill I breed my goats#

Tere are dwarf goat owners wo live outside of Denver 5 for e1ample! tere areat least two in ,onifer 5 tat $eep intact male goats. Arban dwarf goat owners can loadteir animal into te bac$ of te car and drive tem out of te city in order to be bred.

(o$ long do d$arf goats li%e#

' well cared for goat can live for 7J&7N years! altoug it*s not uncommon forgoats to die after 79&74 years.

"hat are my options once my d$arf goat stops producing milk#

Dwarf goats can continue to be bred until tey are around 79 years old. ' goattat is well cared for can live for a few years after tat. Since dwarf goats ave notablydistinct personalities! tey are often $ept as pets until tey pass away. +owever! tere aremany people wo live in rural areas and maintain large erds of goats! and often providea ome for unwanted goats wit teir erd. ' goat owner could also ta$e teir animal tobe eutani-ed at te veterinarian once it become older! and is no longer productive.

"hat if I decide I no longer $ant to keep my d$arf goats#


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's we mentioned! tere is a ig demand for productive dwarf goats. f youranimals are still young enoug to produce mil$! you can find new omes for temtroug ,raigslist or te 2reater Denver Arban +omesteaders meetup message board(ttp?//www.meetup.com/2reater&Denver&Arban&+omesteaders). f your goat is no longerproductive! you can follow te suggestions from te previous question.

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