It’s official – the chickens are legal!
I received our chicken permit today – it feels good to have everything aboveboard. In San Antonio, you are allowed 3 hens without a permit, and if you want more you need to apply for an excess animal permit. Print the form, send it in with your $25 check for the inspection fee, and wait…patiently. They are super busy, I mean…they are animal control for the entire city and they have a lot more pressing things to do I am sure. Eventually a nice animal control officer will make an appointment to come over for your inspection. I have 5 chickens, just 2 over the limit, so it was not such a big deal. BUT….DO make sure your coop is 50 ft from your neighbours house, and DO make certain your coop is big enough as the officer makes it clear to you that the chickens need to be enclosed in the coop AT ALL TIMES. If you have a glorified dog house as a chicken coop, I have my doubts if you would pass inspection. There would be not much light…not much ventilation…and again, they make sure to tell you the chickens need to be enclosed at all times. Of course my chickens just go into the chicken yard if I am cleaning or working on the coop. ;) Right? Right! If you pass you get your temporary permit on the spot. You receive 2 copies and you send in one of the copies with another $25 check for the permit fee. So the permit process is $50 total. My neighbours are all great and love the chickens, but I just don’t like leaving myself open.
Congratulations ladies, you just became a lot more valuable. Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
- Posted in: Hens
- Tagged: backyard chickens, backyard eggs, chicken coop, chicken permit, chicken permit san antonio, chicken yard, hens
Xericstyle 
More valuable – or more expensive??!??
:b
Haaaaaaaa! Both I guess, eh? ;) – xericstyle
$50 to keep chickens seems very expensive, I should think it would stop most people from either having chickens or getting the permit! How much does that make the eggs worth! Christina
Yes I agree that it must deter a lot of people – it is too bad. The fees seem way too high. I decided to go ahead because our chickens are our pets. We got them for the kids because my son has allergies to cats and dogs but I still really wanted our kids to have pets and learn the importance of being a caregiver. The eggs are a bonus. I figure there are a lot of costs involved with dogs/cats…food/shots/vet bills. Dogs and cats give a genuine love in return that I would say is a lot different with chickens. But chickens are fun and funny….and they give eggs so I feel it is worth it. If we only had hens for eggs – then $ wise with the non-gmo feed we feed them it is not worth it money-wise at all. We would go under if this was a business endeavor. Haaaa! I guess that makes the eggs I got Friday cost $10 each. Eeek! In Italy where you live do y’all have to obtain a permit? I know it is more common in Europe to have backyard chickens, I wonder if that is due to it being more reasonable to do so???? -xericstyle
Hooray!!!! You’re chickens are beautiful. I was bobbing my head like a chicken while reading this.
HAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa! Thanks Louis :) -xericstyle
Very nice you made it official – I need to make a few things official. But nothing so cool as chickens – egg factories!
They sure are….yummy yummy for the ‘ol breakfast tacos!!!!! MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmm – xericstyle