April 2021
The Borough of Clayton
225 N Delsea Drive
Clayton NJ 08312
Dear Mayor and Council,
As you may be aware, Keeping of Fowl 116-5 has been in The Borough of Clayton Sanitation Ordinance files since prior to it's last amendment on May of 1979. Recently, Amended #4-2020, a new amendment was posted 'deleting it in it's entirety from The Borough of Clayton Sanitation Ordinance 116-5'. This amendment was passed at a time when Covid locked everything down and meetings were not open to the public. A time when eggs couldn't even be found in a grocery store. Many community members not aware of the amendment until recently when receiving violation notices from The Borough of Clayton Zoning Official. Letters containing violation citing and parameters that were never even part of 116-5 or 116.4 Sanitation Ordinances.
116-5 Borough of Clayton Sanitation Ordinance below for your review:
§ 116-5 Keeping of fowl. [Amended 5-10-1979 by Ord. No. 79-4] All houses, buildings or enclosures wherein chickens or fowl are confined within the limits of the Borough of Clayton must be kept clean and free from all foul odors, and all such houses or enclosures must not be situate within 50 feet of a dwelling house, living quarters or residence of any neighbor or neighbors. Any person or persons offending against the provisions of this section shall forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding $50.
You may or may not be aware; many families, within The Borough of Clayton, have relied on domesticated backyard poultry/chickens/landfowl for the purpose of providing food, insect control, garden compost, food waste management and support as a domesticated pet or support animal.
If Mayor and Council had been aware of the information regarding "keeping of fowl", specifically domesticated backyard poultry/chickens/fowl, we believe they would have voted differently in April 2020 amending to delete Sanitation Ordinance 116-5. Allow us to present some additional information as to why domesticated chicken keeping is a benefit to The Borough of Clayton, NJ community:
1) Chickens are inherently an organic form of pest control. They especially love to eat ticks.
2) Chickens provide rich organic manure to use in your own garden and flower beds.
3) Chickens provide entertainment to watch and are soothing to listen to.
4) Chickens provide your family with food. 3 hens can provide 2 dozen eggs a week for years and most chicken keepers love to share.
5) Chickens provide bonding, much like gardening, within a community that keeps them.
6) Chickens provide education, hobby, mental exercise and emotional support.
7) Chickens require as little as 1 sq foot of space inside a coop per bird.
8) Chickens require as little as 4 sq foot of space enclosed outdoor run per bird.
Did you also know:
1) Chickens are no longer considered solely "farm" animals.
2) Chickens are considered domesticated poultry, pets and even support animals.
3) Chickens can be trained to take commands much like one would a family dog, in fact moreso.
4) Chickens are allowed in cities like NYC. In fact, it was a selling point for a 900 sq foot apartment. whom had a coop on their patio. The apartment sold for 1.3 million, coop included.
5) Chickens can be a new form of income for the community by way of permit.
6) Chicken complaints are lower than that of other allowable domesticated pets.
7) Chicken keepers take pride in their coop which is usually a show point not a deficit.
As a supporter for residents of the Borough of Clayton, New Jersey. I am applying my signature to this petition letter asking the Mayor and Council to develop a new Ordinance for chickens, also known as Domesticated Poultry, Landfowl, Fowl or Gallus gallus domesticus, to be allowed , maintained and kept responsibly within the Borough of Clayton, NJ. This would be a request applied to all zoned sections, more specifically within Residential zones, regardless of the zone definition. Specifically allowing, domesticated backyard poultry/chickens/landfowl within the community for the purpose of providing food, insect control, garden compost, food waste management and support to the resident as a domesticated pet.
In a garden state and suburban country town like Clayton, NJ it would be "fowl" not to allow.
Give your peeps a chance,
Updates
April 11, 2021
The feedback from local families regarding these zoning notices has been consistent and telling. I am currently compiling the experiences shared here to present them formally to the Borough Council. Consistent documentation of this issue remains our primary focus as we prepare for the next steps.
April 11, 2021
The momentum behind this petition highlights how much our community values the ability to keep fowl. I am encouraged by the growing consensus that our local regulations deserve a formal review.
Reached 100 supporters
April 11, 2021
34 Comments
Chickens feed not only the home that they live but neighbors. They feed the neighbors the struggling. They also take care of pest. Mosquitoes, ticks and how about those lanternflies. They don't smell and don't usually cause a nuisance. Maybe get out of the mind set that residence helping themselves is a bad thing and offer help or classes.
Clayton Borough should work with it's residents to allow chickens. As this petition states chickens take up less space than the already approved pet list in Clayton. I can tell you that the dogs in our neighborhood are a huge noise nuisance not to mention the excrement being left on lawns all over town without being picked up.
A main reason we moved OUT of Clayton was because we didn't want to worry about having to rehome our 4 chickens. People's loose dogs and unattended children roaming their neighbors yards are a bigger nuisance than chickens (yeah, I said it). So many other towns are getting on the bandwagon with allowing small flocks, what's the issue?
Please amend this ordinance. Chicken keeps pride themselves in their backyard flocks and their coops are also showpoints in many backyards. As far a sanitation, I see 1000 times more dog feces left all over the place than I ever have chickens
I had bought chickens at the beginning of the pandemic when grocery stores were bone dry. This was my way of feeding my family. Borough of Clayton’s zoning officer payed me a visit stating I had ten days to rid of my hens even though the boroughs website said I could have them as long as the structure was 50ft away from the edge of my property. Which it was. Furthermore, the borough of Clayton does not spray for ticks. My hens were great tick control. I have been hospitalized with lymes disease since they’ve been gone. Please change this. Chickens do more good then harm!
I fully support backyard chickens. Especially in today's economic uncertainty.
Say yes to chickens!!
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April 2021
The Borough of Clayton
225 N Delsea Drive
Clayton NJ 08312
Dear Mayor and Council,
As you may be aware, Keeping of Fowl 116-5 has been in The Borough of Clayton Sanitation Ordinance files since prior to it's last amendment on May of 1979. Recently, Amended #4-2020, a new amendment was posted 'deleting it in it's entirety from The Borough of Clayton Sanitation Ordinance 116-5'. This amendment was passed at a time when Covid locked everything down and meetings were not open to the public. A time when eggs couldn't even be found in a grocery store. Many community members not aware of the amendment until recently when receiving violation notices from The Borough of Clayton Zoning Official. Letters containing violation citing and parameters that were never even part of 116-5 or 116.4 Sanitation Ordinances.
116-5 Borough of Clayton Sanitation Ordinance below for your review:
§ 116-5 Keeping of fowl. [Amended 5-10-1979 by Ord. No. 79-4] All houses, buildings or enclosures wherein chickens or fowl are confined within the limits of the Borough of Clayton must be kept clean and free from all foul odors, and all such houses or enclosures must not be situate within 50 feet of a dwelling house, living quarters or residence of any neighbor or neighbors. Any person or persons offending against the provisions of this section shall forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding $50.
You may or may not be aware; many families, within The Borough of Clayton, have relied on domesticated backyard poultry/chickens/landfowl for the purpose of providing food, insect control, garden compost, food waste management and support as a domesticated pet or support animal.
If Mayor and Council had been aware of the information regarding "keeping of fowl", specifically domesticated backyard poultry/chickens/fowl, we believe they would have voted differently in April 2020 amending to delete Sanitation Ordinance 116-5. Allow us to present some additional information as to why domesticated chicken keeping is a benefit to The Borough of Clayton, NJ community:
1) Chickens are inherently an organic form of pest control. They especially love to eat ticks.
2) Chickens provide rich organic manure to use in your own garden and flower beds.
3) Chickens provide entertainment to watch and are soothing to listen to.
4) Chickens provide your family with food. 3 hens can provide 2 dozen eggs a week for years and most chicken keepers love to share.
5) Chickens provide bonding, much like gardening, within a community that keeps them.
6) Chickens provide education, hobby, mental exercise and emotional support.
7) Chickens require as little as 1 sq foot of space inside a coop per bird.
8) Chickens require as little as 4 sq foot of space enclosed outdoor run per bird.
Did you also know:
1) Chickens are no longer considered solely "farm" animals.
2) Chickens are considered domesticated poultry, pets and even support animals.
3) Chickens can be trained to take commands much like one would a family dog, in fact moreso.
4) Chickens are allowed in cities like NYC. In fact, it was a selling point for a 900 sq foot apartment. whom had a coop on their patio. The apartment sold for 1.3 million, coop included.
5) Chickens can be a new form of income for the community by way of permit.
6) Chicken complaints are lower than that of other allowable domesticated pets.
7) Chicken keepers take pride in their coop which is usually a show point not a deficit.
As a supporter for residents of the Borough of Clayton, New Jersey. I am applying my signature to this petition letter asking the Mayor and Council to develop a new Ordinance for chickens, also known as Domesticated Poultry, Landfowl, Fowl or Gallus gallus domesticus, to be allowed , maintained and kept responsibly within the Borough of Clayton, NJ. This would be a request applied to all zoned sections, more specifically within Residential zones, regardless of the zone definition. Specifically allowing, domesticated backyard poultry/chickens/landfowl within the community for the purpose of providing food, insect control, garden compost, food waste management and support to the resident as a domesticated pet.
In a garden state and suburban country town like Clayton, NJ it would be "fowl" not to allow.
Give your peeps a chance,
Updates
April 11, 2021
The feedback from local families regarding these zoning notices has been consistent and telling. I am currently compiling the experiences shared here to present them formally to the Borough Council. Consistent documentation of this issue remains our primary focus as we prepare for the next steps.
April 11, 2021
The momentum behind this petition highlights how much our community values the ability to keep fowl. I am encouraged by the growing consensus that our local regulations deserve a formal review.
Reached 100 supporters
April 11, 2021
34 Comments
My neighbor has chickens for which they share their eggs with us and we share our garden produce with them. Very supportive of each other. That's what being good neighbor's is all about. Our granddaughters love visiting with the chicken when them come over. YES Allow Chickens in town!
Chickens feed not only the home that they live but neighbors. They feed the neighbors the struggling. They also take care of pest. Mosquitoes, ticks and how about those lanternflies. They don't smell and don't usually cause a nuisance. Maybe get out of the mind set that residence helping themselves is a bad thing and offer help or classes.
Clayton Borough should work with it's residents to allow chickens. As this petition states chickens take up less space than the already approved pet list in Clayton. I can tell you that the dogs in our neighborhood are a huge noise nuisance not to mention the excrement being left on lawns all over town without being picked up.
A main reason we moved OUT of Clayton was because we didn't want to worry about having to rehome our 4 chickens. People's loose dogs and unattended children roaming their neighbors yards are a bigger nuisance than chickens (yeah, I said it). So many other towns are getting on the bandwagon with allowing small flocks, what's the issue?
Please amend this ordinance. Chicken keeps pride themselves in their backyard flocks and their coops are also showpoints in many backyards. As far a sanitation, I see 1000 times more dog feces left all over the place than I ever have chickens
I had bought chickens at the beginning of the pandemic when grocery stores were bone dry. This was my way of feeding my family. Borough of Clayton’s zoning officer payed me a visit stating I had ten days to rid of my hens even though the boroughs website said I could have them as long as the structure was 50ft away from the edge of my property. Which it was. Furthermore, the borough of Clayton does not spray for ticks. My hens were great tick control. I have been hospitalized with lymes disease since they’ve been gone. Please change this. Chickens do more good then harm!
I fully support backyard chickens. Especially in today's economic uncertainty.
Say yes to chickens!!
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My neighbor has chickens for which they share their eggs with us and we share our garden produce with them. Very supportive of each other. That's what being good neighbor's is all about. Our granddaughters love visiting with the chicken when them come over. YES Allow Chickens in town!