No Chickens Allowed?

I’ve been a bit quiet lately as we’ve had a lot going on around here. Some good, some not so good, and some pretty sad things but we are still here and still keeping on.

**WARNING: this may be something of a ‘RANT’ so feel free to stop reading at any time. I also mention raising animals for human consumption so please STOP HERE if this is something you don’t agree with!

One major issue we’ve been dealing with is homeowner’s insurance which is required by our mortgage company. We’ve been told that many insurance companies have left our state so the number of carriers has been declining rapidly.

We have an older mobile home (1994) so that is another reason we are often given. It’s just been one thing after another and it’s definitely been a challenge to find someone who will insure our home. We had found a company and things were going along well until they did an inspection…

After the events of the past couple of years we definitely felt like we needed to be a little more self-sufficient. It was extremely stressful for us (as well as most of the country) to not be able to get the things we needed for our large family. Add on top of that the major issues we had with the high risk pregnancy, preterm birth, medically complex baby (she is doing great now), and then her extended hospital stay for leukemia treatment, and now my health issues while trying to keep our family going even when I was not able to here …. it is just downright terrifying to think that it could happen again. We want to be better prepared for any situation that may come up in the future.

Earlier this year we had gotten some raised beds (thanks dad!) to start some gardening. We had also gotten some baby chicks and a couple of ducks for eggs and meat purposes.

With the costs of eggs reaching crazy high prices (over $20/case at one point here) and the limited availability of various meats/foods in our local stores it seemed like a smart and responsible thing to do.

When the insurance learned that we had 50 chicks and 2 ducks they sent out a cancellation notice… we could have never imagined that having chickens was against the ‘rules’.

At first we were told that they had concerns that we were trying to start a business. The only business I’m about is the business of keeping my kids healthy and fed! Plus, if they had any idea of what it cost to get chickens earlier this year then they should realize that we aren’t that rich!

Then they said the number of chickens was extreme… hmmm. If we kept 2 chickens per family member that would be a minimum of 18. If we plan to have chicken at least once or twice a week for the next 3-4 months that would be another 40-50 chickens that we would need for meat. It doesn’t seem extreme at all when you really do the math.

Despite various attempts we have not been able to rectify the situation and the only solution would be to get rid of all but 5 animals, submit a photo of our mixed breed dog, and submit a signed affidavit that we have indeed reduced the number of animals on our property. Sigh… what to do?

Our only other option is to have the mortgage company ‘force place’ a policy.

It’s extremely frustrating to believe that our government allows these kinds of ‘rules’. When I really sit and think about it I get frustrated. We don’t live in the city and we have no restrictions on our land so it really makes no sense. When I ask about the why’s for their rules no one can give me an answer.

We just want to keep our family happy and healthy. One way we plan to do that is by limiting the amount of processed foods that we eat. With our littlest one already having been through chemo she is at increased risk of developing other cancers and complications later on so we want to support her immune system as much as we possibly can.

I have also been dealing with some scary health issues and I’m trying to be more mindful of what I’m putting into my body as well as what my kids are eating.

By raising our own birds (animals) we can control what they eat, how they are treated, and how they are processed. Our kids have been learning valuable lessons in responsibility, healthy eating, sustainability, preparedness, reducing waste, budgeting and time management.

The kiddos also are developing other valuable traits in empathy, compassion, respectfulness, nurturing, patience, leadership, as well as boosting their self esteem and confidence when they can see the things they have been caring for grow into healthy animals/plants that can provide healthy nourishment for them.

They’ve also been learning to build things and take pride in the products they have made like the chicken coop and goose tractor.

Another big thing is that it keeps the kids from being glued to the screens! Our kids are always begging to go outside to play with the geese or the goats or the chickens. They love checking for eggs and taking scraps to the chickens.

They also love helping out in the garden … even weeding! We have been planting fruit trees and berry bushes around the property as well. We’ve also got plans for a bigger garden and more raised beds next year but I have to wonder if the government will eventually change the rules as to what we can grow on our land as well. (Thankfully Florida has overturned some of those regulations that made some gardens illegal!) There are other states that still have such laws.

It’s just hard to believe that our nation, which was founded by so many people who worked the land to provide for their families, has went from encouraging its citizens to be more self-sufficient and responsible to restricting what we can grow/raise for our families and forcing everyone to rely more and more on commercial producers.

This ultimately puts the health of our families at stake because we have seen time and time again where products are recalled or banned because of health complications that they have caused… so scary.

Rant over… for now. If you made it this far, Thank you! I know we aren’t the only ones dealing with this situation but I’m just not sure what can be done about it… if we find a solution we will update everyone. If you have a solution other than the one we’ve been given then please let us know in the comments.