Animals, Bizarre, Society

Township Addresses Cock Crisis: Pullets Protected

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Things must be awfully slow around the “Bored” Room of Hopewell Township (NJ) governing committee.  An ordinance to limit chicken mating has caused quite a bit of clucking among the locals. Now the legislation has finally become law after three hours of emotional debate by the Town Committee.  Twelve fearless citizens approached the rostrum and spoke both for and against the legislation. The law, as passed, would limit rooster contact with hens to just 10 days a year and would require them to prove they’re disease-free.  A definite turn-off in the fowl world we live in.

“You could kill off your entire flock by introducing a sick bird,” cooed Committeewoman Vanessa Sandom who sponsored the ordinance. Mating isn’t the only feature of this landmark legislation that was three years in the offing. The problem of cock crowing is not overlooked. Up to six hens are allowed on half-acre lots in chicken country but no roosters need apply. Too noisy say the town fathers — and mothers. Subdued cocks are allowed on the premises for “fertilization” purposes, but any rooster caught crowing for “prolonged periods of time” is subject to a two-year mating ban. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment.

Source: NJ.com

~Dutifully Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

12 thoughts on “Township Addresses Cock Crisis: Pullets Protected”

  1. Pete-

    I hate to do this, but…..

    Was the title of the Ordinance “The Pullet Surprise”?

    Well, someone had to do it.

  2. Would a stopcock for cockamamie laws be useful?

  3. HenMan where are you?

    i’ve lived where neighbors had chickens and the sound of the rooster never bothered me. as long as i get some fresh eggs from time to time.

    and i’m not going to tell the story of the rooster chasing my dog around the yard. (sunny hates it when i tell that story)

    isn’t that a picture of john holmes in the cowboy hat?

  4. I have written about my bad memories of living in Steamboat Springs Colorado. I didn’t live in the country I lived in the city. Six blocks from city hall.

    My neighbors had chickens. They complained when I objected to the chickens coming onto my front porch.

    I read just recently that a bear followed the chicken smell of my same ex neighbors, same street etc. and broke into the chicken house and killed a bunch of chickens. This was 6 feet from the neighbor’s property.

    Go out to your car and there find a bear chasing the neighbors’ chickens…. That could have been me.

  6. anon nurse 1, May 8, 2011 at 11:08 am

    (And Bud… It went right by me, before I’d had my first full cup of coffee… 🙂 )

    Sure sounds like great coffee to me anon nurse.

  7. One rooster was overheard complaining, “Who do I have to screw to get out of this chicken shit township?”

  9. This story brings back some not-so-fond memories of a mighty rooster in Nicaragua (of the fowl sort) who began crowing at around 4 a.m., day after day after day… for months…

    (And Bud… It went right by me, before I’d had my first full cup of coffee… 🙂 )

  10. Highland Park, Texas….had an ordinance that was from about 1908 on the books that was not changed until 2008….You were still allowed to have barn yard animals…chickens and roosters….one little lad at the Dads insistence brought some roosters and chickens….the neighbors complained….and not a damn thing the city could do about it….it was on the books….lol….well the Ordinance was amended, to exclude Roosters……and the Dad is still an Attorney….they still have the chickens and roosters…

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