tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59000554471491419922023-11-16T09:31:27.140-05:00Lansing Urban Goat MovementAs part of the ever-growing local food movement, the Lansing Urban Goat Movement aims to legalize backyard miniature dairy goats in the city of Lansing, MI.Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-78488016242601069682014-08-09T15:33:00.001-04:002014-08-09T15:33:41.118-04:00Letters to Commissioners Still Needed! The draft ordinance on legalizing goat was positively received by the Law & Courts Committee in April. They decided to vote on the ordinance in the fall after a new Ingham County Animal Control Director is hired, so that the director could have input on the issue.<br />
<br />
It's not too late to write to your commissioner to <a href="http://lansingurbangoats.blogspot.com/p/show-your-support.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">show your support </a>for keeping dwarf & miniature goats in Ingham County!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053310174851156018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-61953832880164476762014-08-09T15:22:00.001-04:002014-08-09T15:34:42.978-04:00Urban Goat Class held by Shannon Branstner and Bob PeñaBob Peña and his sister Shannon Branstner hosted an urban goat care class at Bob's house on Vine St. in Lansing this morning. They had a good turnout from neighbors and other folks interested in learning about keeping goats in the city.<br />
<br />
Bob recently brought home two Dwarf Nigerian goats. He had done his research on care and housing of goats, and had designed a barn for chickens and goats four years ago. He had the goats for a total of 10 days before he had to remove them due to complaints received by the Ingham County Animal Control Board. <br />
<br />
Bob's goats were very visible in the neighborhood for the short time they lived on Vine St. They became popular
with many of the neighbors. Folks stopped by to see them, pet them,
and feed them. Several of the neighborhood kids would also help Bob
brush the goats.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Shannon and Bob for hosting this class to increase public support for goats! We hope that they will soon be able to legally keep dwarf goats on Vine St. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053310174851156018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-65241707896913641362014-03-27T06:53:00.000-04:002014-03-27T06:53:20.377-04:00We need your support before April 17th!<div class="MsoNormal">
Ingham Country residents, if you support this issue, please write to your county commissioner today!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Commissioner Todd Tennis will be presenting a <a href="http://lansingurbangoats.blogspot.com/p/draft-ordinance.html" target="_blank">r</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">evised draft of the urban dairy goat ordinance</a> to the Law & Courts Committee of the Board of County Commissioners
on April 17, 2014.<br />
<br />
We need your support now! Please email or write your commissioners to let them know that you support urban dairy goats in Ingham County. <a href="http://lansingurbangoats.blogspot.com/p/show-your-support.html" target="_blank">Visit our Show Your Support</a> page to find your commissioner and to get help with writing your letter. <br />
<br />
Please visit our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/383298841765403/" target="_blank">Facebook group</a> for more information about this issue.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053310174851156018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-68536421059276500762014-03-27T05:21:00.000-04:002014-03-27T06:53:48.664-04:00What happended in 2013<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">The issue of urban dairy goats was back before the Ingham County Animal Control </span><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Advisory Board at their meeting on January 29, 2013, which received <a href="http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2013/02/lansing_dogs_may_face_new_comp.html" target="_blank">some local press</a>. Commissioner Todd Tennis decided to prepare a draft ordinance for the March 25th meeting. </span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">The Animal Control Advisory Board recommended Commissioner Tennis' draft ordinance at their meeting on March 25, 2013.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">This group met several times between April - December 2013 to discuss revisions to the draft ordinance, including minimum space for goats, how to manage waste, requiring at least two goats, and exempting goats under 12 weeks of age from minimum numbers of goats allowed.</span><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"> </span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /></span>
<br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06053310174851156018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-80446469319243498282012-11-13T18:24:00.001-05:002012-11-13T18:30:59.627-05:00Attention all Urban Agriculture Supporters!I've contacted the Ingham County Animal Control Advisory Board and we have been put on the agenda for the upcoming November meeting to continue the discussion of legalizing miniature dairy goats in urban areas of Ingham County.<br />
<br />
The meeting will take place Monday November 26th at 6:30pm in the Health Department Building (the southeast corner of Jolly and Cedar in south Lansing). If you plan to attend, you will need to sign in with the guard on the first floor and they will direct you to the correct meeting room.<br />
<br />
See you there!<br />
<br />
P.S. We also have a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/138472266300090/138474076299909/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity">Facebook group</a>, so feel free to invite your friends!Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-79770840634281665182012-10-15T13:13:00.002-04:002012-10-15T13:13:45.659-04:00The Original Proposal<br />
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Proposal
to Amend the Animal Control Ordinance to Allow for</span></b></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Urban
Dairy Goats in Ingham County</b></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Informational
Packet
</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">for
the</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Ingham
County Animal Control Shelter Advisory Board</b></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">November 28, 2011</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Contents:</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Proposal</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">About Miniature Dairy Goats</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why Would Anyone Want a
Goat?</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Common Concerns and Misconceptions
about
Goats</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Requirements and Suggested
Regulations for Urban Goat
Keeping</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Examples of Other Cities with Urban
Goat Ordinances</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i> Charlottesville,
</i>VA</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Denver,
CO</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Seattle,
WA</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Amendment
Proposal</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">References</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Proposal:
</b>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As
a strong supporter of the local food and urban agriculture movements,
I'd like to propose the legalization of miniature dairy goats on
residential-zoned land in Ingham County. M<span style="color: #141414;">iniature
goats take up very little space, are gentle and intelligent, and
produce wholesome milk, making them an excellent addition to any
urban garden or homestead. In the following document, I hope to
explain why Ingham residents would want to keep dairy goats, </span>dispel
the common anti-goat arguments, discuss the requirements for keeping
goats, and suggest regulations for inclusion in the Ingham County
Animal Control Ordinance (should a goat exception be added).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>About
Miniature Dairy Goats:</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why
Would Anyone Want a Goat?</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats are one of the earliest
domesticated animals</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">A</span><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">bout
10,000-11,000 years ago, Neolithic farmers began keeping small herds
of goats for their milk and meat. In addition, goat dung was used for
fuel, while hair, bone, skin, and sinew were used for clothes making
and building materials.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats are common household
animals around the world</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Although it is not common amongst Americans, many cultures around the
world keep goats. In fact, more people worldwide drink goat milk than
any other type of milk!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: #ffffff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats
can play an integral role in urban sustainability and local food
production</span></span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Legalizing urban dairy goats will help support the growing urban
agriculture and local food movements in Ingham County. It is clear
that local food production has become important to Ingham County
residents because many new farmer's markets and community gardens
have popped up in the last few years. The Michigan Farmer's Market
Association lists at least 12 farmer's markets in Ingham County. In
addition, the Garden Project (a program of the Greater Lansing Food
Bank) lists approximately 85 community gardens spread through out the
county!
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Goats provide inexpensive,
fresh, and unadulterated milk </b>
</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Keeping backyard goats is a great way of producing milk and other
dairy products in an economical, ethical, and eco-friendly way.<span style="background: #ffffff;">
Most Ingham County r</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">esidents
have few options when it comes to purchasing milk. We are basically
forced to buy factory-farmed milk at the grocery store. </span></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a;">This
factory-farmed milk generally has hormones, antibiotics, and other
potentially harmful and unnecessary additives. The living conditions
on factory farms are often cited for being unethical, inhumane, and
unsanitary. Therefore, the keeping of a small backyard herd of dairy
goats</span> is a logical solution for consumers who care about where
and how their food is produced.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats make great pets</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Goats are considered excellent pets due to their good-natured
personalities, friendliness, faithfulness, and hardy constitution.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats are similar in size and
temperament as dogs</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Miniature goats are no bigger than a number large dog breeds (e.g.,
Golden or Labrador Retriever, Boxer, German Shepherd, etc.) averaging
around 24" tall and 50 to 80 pounds. Goats are gentle animals
and have much less potential to harm humans than dogs.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats are great at clearing
brush and undergrowth</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Goats will readily consume invasive and noxious weeds and shrubs.
They can be used as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical
herbicides and gas-powered brush-clearing equipment.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goat droppings do not smell and
make great compost</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a;">Goat droppings are very dry and do not smell.
Unlike dog or cat feces, goat droppings are safe to compost.
Therefore, goats don't add to the municipal garbage stream as do most
household pets. In addition, goat droppings are full of plant
material and make a great soil amendment for the garden. </span> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Common
Concerns and Misconceptions about Goats</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats are smelly</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Un-castrated goats are well known for being smelly, therefore they
are not appropriate for the urban setting. However, female goats,
baby goats, and castrated male goats are not smelly<span style="background: #ffffff;">.
In addition, goat droppings are very dry and do not smell, unlike dog
and cat feces.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats are noisy</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Most goats are no louder than
neighborhood dogs or children. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats carry and transmit
disease</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Goats have no more potential to negatively impact human health than
dogs and cats. Serious illnesses in people due to infections from
goats are rare and disease risk can be reduced through proper
sanitation and good husbandr<span style="background: #ffffff;">y. Dogs
and cats can also transmit pests and disease to humans (e.g. rabies,
toxoplasmosis, salmonella, cat scratch fever, lyme disease, fleas,
worms, etc.), but for all animals, proper care and common sense go a
long way towards preventing disease.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats are escape artists</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Goats are very curious and nimble, making them capable of escaping
when improper and/or insufficient fencing is used. For example,
poultry netting (a.k.a. chicken wire) is fairly flexible and lacks
the strength required to safely contain goats. Therefore, strong and
resilient fencing intended for livestock, chain-link fencing, or
solid wood fencing should be used.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: #ffffff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats
are dangerous</span></span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats are common fixtures at
children's petting zoos because they are such docile and friendly
animals. They pose very little threat to children, certainly no more
than a dog or cat. As with any animal, young children should be
supervised when interacting with goats (more for the goat's safety
than the child's). To prevent accidental bumps and bruises, goats can
be dehorned or disbudded if desired.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Requirements
and Suggested Regulations for Urban Goat Keeping</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Number of Goats</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Goats are social animals and will
suffer if kept singly. Therefore, at least two goats should be kept
together at all times. Other cities with urban goat ordinances (see
below) generally limit the total number of animals to three goats
over the age of twelve weeks per property. However, some of the
cities set the limit on goat number according to the size of the
property (e.g., one goat per 5,000 square feet). </span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.26in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Since dairy goats must be bred in
order to produce milk, nursing offspring will need to be kept on the
property until the age of twelve (12) weeks and therefore, should not
be included in the total number of goats allowed. By the time they
reach twelve weeks old, the offspring can be sold or retained by the
owner (as long as the owner remains within the maximum number
allowed).</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: #ffffff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Size
and Breed of Goats</span></span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">There are several breeds and
cross-breeds of dairy goats that weigh between 50 to 80 pounds and
are appropriate for urban areas. Within this weight range include the
African Pygmy and Nigerian Dwarf breeds, as well as </span><span style="color: #030303;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">miniature
dairy goat cross-breeds, which are the product of crossing a
full-sized dairy breed with a Nigerian Dwarf. Full-sized dairy breeds
may also be appropriate for urban areas, but can weigh up to 135
pounds. Furthermore, many other cities with urban goat ordinances
(see below) permit only pygmy, dwarf, or miniature goats.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Shelter and Enclosure size</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">According to the
Denver, CO miniature goat ordinance (see below), at least 130 square
feet of land space should be available for each miniature goat as
well as adequate shelter space for each goat. This figure can be
referenced in any number of publications on the keeping of goats (see
references section).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fencing</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Goats must be kept
in an enclosure that is constructed and maintained in a manner to
keep the goats confined. Fencing should be sturdy enough to prevent
the goats from pushing it over and at least 4 feet high to prevent
jumping. Fencing intended for livestock, chain-link fencing, or solid
wood fencing should be used.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Neutering</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Due to their unpleasant odor, un-castrated male goats should not be
kept in an urban setting. Therefore, all male goats brought into the
city should be neutered and all male offspring should be neutered
during their first couple weeks.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Disbudding/Dehorning</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Disbudding/dehorning is a common topic of debate among goat owners.
Disbudding involves using a very hot iron to burn the horn buds off
the skull of a baby goat (often less than a week old). Dehorning is
the process of cutting off horns that have already grown to
significant size. Both processes can be a dangerous, even
life-threatening, medical procedures that can cause tetanus, brain
damage, infection, or death from shock. Many goat owners consider the
practice of disbudding/dehorning inhumane and unnecessary.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
So why would a goat owner want to disbud their goat? First, if a goat
is to be shown in a competition, or if they are to be a project for
4-H, it must be disbudded/dehorned to qualify. Second, while goats
are docile animals, their horns could cause accidental bumps or
bruises. Disbudding may be especially important if small children
will be interacting with the goat on a regular basis.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Obviously there are good arguments both for and against
disbudding/dehorning. The goat owner should take their individual
situation into consideration before deciding to keep goats with horns
or without horns. If an urban goat ordinance is added in Ingham
County, I would suggest that disbudding/dehorning is neither required
nor prohibited, but rather left to the discretion of the owner.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
If you would like to view a video of the disbudding process, the
following video is available on www.youtube.com. Please be warned
that this video may be disturbing to some individuals.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2.46in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a class="western" href="http://youtu.be/GUL2ep3_RVw">http://youtu.be/GUL2ep3_RVw</a></u></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Breeding</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In order to produce milk, a dairy animal must
first become pregnant and give birth. Therefore, in order to produce
milk, female goats must be bred regularly. Since keeping un-castrated
male goats in the city would be inappropriate, urban goat owners will
need to by take their females to a breeder who provides breeding
services.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.98in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After a 5-month gestation period, the mother
goat will give birth to 1 to 4 offspring. Soon after giving birth,
the mother goat can begin sharing her milk with the goat owner. The
offspring can be weaned around 8 to 12 weeks old and then sold (or
kept by the owner). The mother goat can be milked for up to 10 months
each time she is bred. However, she should be given a 2-month resting
period where she is not milked before giving birth again.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Examples
of Other Cities with Urban Goat Ordinances: </b>
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.14in; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.49in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Urban dairy goats are legal in many cities throughout the United
States. In the following pages, I have given three examples of cities
with goat ordinances. I have included screen-capture images of each
city’s municipal code, highlighting the sections pertaining to the
keeping of goats in urban areas. If you would like to examine these
municipal codes in closer detail, they are all available on the
internet (web addresses are shown at the top of each page).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Charlottesville,
Virginia</b></span></h3>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><img height="400" src="webkit-fake-url://9798C930-EB05-403B-AE5E-25012CA3780F/image.tiff" width="640" /></b></span></div>
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Denver,
Colorado</b></span></h3>
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b><img height="400" src="webkit-fake-url://F29D3D26-FC18-4EF3-9EA6-6D021B8ED1D0/image.tiff" width="640" /></b><br /><b>Seattle,
Washington</b></span></h3>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b><img height="400" src="webkit-fake-url://ECF09B28-D5AF-4BED-9D69-A2342310B1D3/image.tiff" width="640" /></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<img height="400" src="webkit-fake-url://07E2DA0E-CFC4-4CF8-B99F-FBF79BDDFA41/image.tiff" width="640" />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<img height="400" src="webkit-fake-url://ED3A40B0-E8C4-4327-8B8E-BE58AFEB0B63/image.tiff" width="640" />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<img height="400" src="webkit-fake-url://0DD7C38C-7076-4B89-8073-B7A869FAEC37/image.tiff" width="640" /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Amendment
Proposal:</b></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: #ffffff;">INGHAM
COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: #ffffff;">ORDINANCE
AMENDING THE INGHAM COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL ORDINANCE TO PERMIT KEEPING
MINIATURE GOATS IN NON-AGRICULTURAL AREAS</span></b></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;">An
Ordinance to amend the Ingham County Animal Control Ordinance to
permit the keeping of miniature goats in non-agricultural areas of
the County.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;">
<b>Section 2. </b></span><span style="background: #ffffff;"> </span><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">Amendment</span></b><span style="background: #ffffff;">.
Article VIII of the Ingham County Animal Control Ordinance, entitled
Prohibition of Livestock or Poultry in Non-Agricultural Areas, is
amended to read as follows:</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.33in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-indent: -0.67in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;">(a)
No livestock or poultry shall be owned, kept, possessed, harbored or
kept charge of within the boundaries or any non-agricultural area
within Ingham County except as such places are provided for shipping
said livestock or poultry.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.33in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-indent: -0.67in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.33in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-indent: -0.67in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;">(b)
** Section (b), which discusses the keeping of chickens on
non-agricultural land has been omitted.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; text-indent: -2in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;">
(c) Notwithstanding
paragraph (a), and unless expressly prohibited or regulated by a
city, village or township ordinance, or private property
restriction, miniature goats may be owned, kept, possessed,
harbored, and kept charge of within the boundaries of any
non-agricultural area within Ingham County, under the following
conditions:</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-indent: -1.33in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;">
(i) No more than three
(3) miniature (not more than 100 pounds) goats may be kept at the
same time on any one- or two-family residential property, except that
nursing offspring may be kept on the property until the age of twelve
(12) weeks, and shall not be included in the number of goats allowed;</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-indent: -1.33in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.96in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-indent: -1.33in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;"> (ii) All
male goats must be neutered;</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-indent: -0.67in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;">(iii) Goats must be kept in an
enclosure so constructed or repaired as to keep the goats confined on
the owner’s property;</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-indent: -0.67in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-indent: -0.67in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;">(iv) There must be at least one
hundred and thirty (130) square feet of land space for each miniature
goat as well as adequate shelter space for each goat.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-indent: -0.67in;">
<span style="background: #ffffff;">(v)
All feed and other items associated with the keeping of goats that
are likely to attract or to become infested with or infected by rats,
mice, or other rodents, shall be protected so as to prevent rats,
mice, or other rodents from gaining access to or coming into contract
with them.</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>References:</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Books:</u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Belanger, Jerry, and Sara Thomson
Bredesen. Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats. North Adams, MA:
Storey Publishing. 2010. Print.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Damerow, Gail. The Backyard Homestead
Guide to Raising Farm Animals. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing.
2011. Print.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fox, Thomas. Urban Farming: Sustainable
City Living in Your Backyard, in Your Community, and in the World.
Irvine, CA: Bowtie Press. 2011. Print.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Gehring, Abigail. The Homesteading
Handbook. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. 2011. Print.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jaudas, Ulrich, and Seyedmehdi Mobini.
The Goat Handbook. Hauppauge, New York: Barron's Publishing. 1987.
Print.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Kaplan, Rachel. Urban Homesteading:
Heirloom Skills of Sustainable Living. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.
2011. Print.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Weaver, Sue. The Backyard Goat: An
Introductory Guide to keeping Productive Pet Goats. North Adams, MA:
Storey Publishing. 2011. Print.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Websites:</u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Garden Project Program of the
Greater Lansing Foodbank:
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a class="western" href="http://www.greaterlansingfoodbank.org/the-garden-project.html">http://www.greaterlansingfoodbank.org/the-garden-project.html</a></u></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Michigan Farmer's Market Association :
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a class="western" href="http://www.mifma.org/home/">http://www.mifma.org/home/</a></u></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">“<i>To
grow your own food gives you a sort of power and it gives you
dignity. You know exactly what you’re eating because you grew it.
It’s good, it’s nourishing and you did this for yourself, your
family and your community.” </i></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.67in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">-Karen
Washington, </span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">food justice activist
and president of the New York City Community Garden Coalition</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-46462548569834286632012-10-15T13:13:00.001-04:002012-10-15T13:13:17.050-04:00Making Our Voice HeardIn just a few minutes I will be posting the original proposal, presented almost a year ago, to legalize urban dairy goats in Ingham County, Michigan.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you are interested in this issue, please consider reading the proposal and writing to your county commissioner before the next Animal Control Advisory Board meeting (end of November). If you want to, feel free to write to multiple people! Explain why this issue is important to you and how you and your community will benefit from legalizing dairy goats. If you were positively affected by the recent urban chicken legalization (circa 2008 or 2009), please mention that too. Urban agriculture in Ingham County (Lansing in particular) has gotten a lot of attention and support in the last few years. Let's show our governmental bodies what the next step is!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You can determine the county commissioner for your district by going to: <a href="http://www.ingham.org/BC/Commissioners/CommDistMap_ALL.pdf">http://www.ingham.org/BC/Commissioners/CommDistMap_ALL.pdf</a></div>
<br />
If you prefer to email your commissioner, you can find their email address on this page (click on the district # next to their name to be taken to a separate page with their email address):<br />
<a href="http://bc.ingham.org/">http://bc.ingham.org/</a><br />
<br />
If you prefer to mail your commissioner a letter, address your envelope to:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Your Commissioners Name HERE </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ingham County Courthouse</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">P.O. Box 319</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Mason, MI 48854 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">P.S. If you write a letter, please let me know, so I have a rough idea of how many letters have been sent out.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-58018962075165056542012-10-12T12:30:00.001-04:002012-10-12T12:30:38.881-04:00Stay Tuned!So I heard back from one of my contact people and...the next step is to get some letters sent out to county commissioners.<br />
<br />
BUT FIRST, I'd like any interested parties to read the information packet that was previously presented to the Ingham County Animal Control Advisory Board. I'll try to send out the info packet to those of you I know of soon (and I'll try to figure out how to upload the PDF to this blog). The info packet will hopefully give you an idea of what the main issues/concerns are about legalizing goats in any municipality.<br />
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What I'll then ask you to do is write a letter (preferably a real letter, not an email) to the county commissioner for your district (I'll show you how to figure out who this is) showing your interest in legalizing goats in Ingham County.<br />
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It would also be great if you could attend the next Advisory Board meeting which I believe is Monday November 26th (in the evening).<br />
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Stay tuned for more information!Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-72872030426441976202012-09-27T17:17:00.000-04:002012-09-27T17:17:16.461-04:00Getting The Ball Rolling AgainI feel really guilty that so much time has passed since I actively worked on the urban goat issue in Ingham County. I had to miss the March 2012 meeting because I was attending a conference in California. I asked how the March meeting went in my absence and they said that they continued to discuss, but no decision was made. It appears that once I stopped attending meetings, the goat issue was probably just dropped. I don't blame them though, they're busy people with (often times) bigger fish to fry (e.g. cruelty cases, free spay neuter clinics, adoptions, etc).<br />
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I just missed the September meeting which was last Monday. It's difficult getting much accomplished when the committee only meets every other month! Anyway, I just contacted two members of the Animal Control Advisory Board today about starting the discussion again. I'm hoping to find out that some major steps forward were made in my absence, but I doubt that happened. I'm worried that so much time has passed that I'll have to basically start over from scratch.<br />
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In any event, I plan on attending the November meeting and getting the ball rolling again. I'm excited to have met some other like-minded people over the summer who are interested in pursuing this legalization process too. Maybe things will be a little more successful if I have some teammates!Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-10973516098793071812012-01-24T12:39:00.000-05:002012-01-24T12:39:20.122-05:00A Bit of a Set Back...So there has been a bit of a set back. I attended another Animal Control Advisory Board meeting last night and a couple of issues have arisen.<br />
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1) The USDA (or was it the MDA?) is in the process of changing a regulation in Michigan that requires all livestock to have identification ear tags (and not just animals being imported into Michigan) in order to keep records on disease such as scrapie (the version of mad-cow that goats and sheep can get). In addition, entities such as the Ingham County animal shelter will be required to slaughter any un-tagged goats they pick up. Unlike un-registered dogs, which get impounded and eventually re-homed, goats will get impounded and slaughtered, with no option of re-homing. The animal shelter does not want to be responsible for "disposing" of the animals and also doesn't want to get a bad rap. Having to slaughter someone's untagged pet goat would be a public-relations nightmare! Furthermore, even if we specifically state in our goat ordinance that "ALL GOATS MUST HAVE IDENTIFYING EAR TAGS" a lot of people won't pay attention to the rules...and as a result, their animal could get needlessly slaughtered.<br />
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2) The Ingham County Animal Shelter is already under-funded and under-staffed. Allowing any new "critter" in the county will inevitably make more work for them. Regardless of how clearly spelled-out the regulations are in the goat ordinance, many people will obtain goats without ever reading the regulations. A possible way to "pay-back" the animal shelter for having to deal with goats will be to require a licensing fee (like a dog license).<br />
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The plan is to collect more information on the USDA regulation and figure out the issues with the animal shelter and/or licensing fees. Then we will meet with the Animal Control Advisory Board again in late March (they only meet every other month). If the advisory board approves the updated resolution, then we can go to the Law Enforcement Committee to get the resolution passed (hopefully).Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-28968168677834396012012-01-23T15:42:00.000-05:002012-01-23T15:42:15.718-05:00Another Meeting TonightI will be attending this month's Ingham County Animal Control Shelter Advisory Board meeting tonight. I hear that they will be discussing the goat issue quite a bit...in order to decide if the board will be in support of the proposed goat resolution at the upcoming Ingham County Law Enforcement Committee meeting next week, February 2.<br />
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Hope everything goes okay...if nothing else, I think we will be finalizing our version of the resolution (which may involve adding a few things such as the rumored ear tag requirement).Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-35218969383449571652012-01-17T15:26:00.000-05:002012-01-17T15:26:27.617-05:00UpdateNow there's been mention of some requirement for ear-tags on all livestock in michigan, regulated by the Michigan Department of Agriculture. Hopefully this won't trip things up too much!Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-9876762276470307042012-01-13T11:10:00.002-05:002012-01-13T11:10:57.807-05:00Let's Get This Resolution Passed!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Hi Everyone,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">As you may know, I have been working with the Ingham County commission to try to get dairy goats legalized in urban areas. The process has been moving along pretty smoothly and we are close to finishing!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I have a meeting with the Ingham County Law Enforcement Committee on Thursday February 2nd (at 6pm) to present the resolution to allow goats. I'm pretty sure that getting the law e</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">nforcement committee's approval for the resolution is the last step in the process! My contact with the county commission suggested I try to find some other pro-goat (or pro-urban agriculture) people to come and show their support at the meeting (and possibly say a few words).<br />
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If you are interested in legalizing urban dairy goats in Ingham County and improving access to fresh and unadulterated milk in the city, please consider attending the meeting and showing your support. Contact me for more information.</span></span>Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-73386523388655798792011-12-14T17:30:00.007-05:002011-12-14T17:30:03.865-05:00Update- Getting the City Council On-BoardTaking the advice of my contact with the Ingham County commission, I contacted two city council members (one for Lansing, one for East Lansing) on Monday to let them know that some goat legislation may be coming their way (I'm pretty confident at this point that it WILL be coming their way). I'm thrilled to have heard back from both of them already...and they both sound like they're on-board and maybe even excited about it!Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-24145171870421194832011-12-09T17:30:00.013-05:002011-12-09T17:30:01.438-05:00Hypothetical Progress Is Better Than No Progress At AllMy contact with the Ingham county commission emailed me today with some updates. He said that he has mentioned the goat proposal to some other commission members. None of them were super enthused about it, but nobody seemed opposed to the idea either. He is planning on discussing the goat issue at the next commission meeting next Tuesday December 13.<br />
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He wants to have a resolution written and ready for approval by the Law Enforcement committee in January. It sounds like this was how the chicken ordinance went about (approval by the law enforcement committee was the main thing that had to happen). He said he may want me to make a presentation to this committee similar to the one I did for the Animal Control Advisory Board.<br />
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Once the resolution is passed in Ingham County, we still have to get ordinances on the books for each city in Ingham County. He suggested that I contact the city council person for Lansing and East Lansing and give them a heads-up that this resolution may be on its way. I'm a little confused about this because I don't think Lansing added anything to it's municipal code specifically about chickens after the chicken resolution went through in Ingham County (so why do we need to do it for goats?). I'm assuming it's just for more protection from the law and to prevent Lansing from outlawing urban goats if the county adopts a goat ordinance.Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-8461685069672660592011-12-07T17:30:00.002-05:002011-12-07T17:30:01.219-05:00Update: Waiting GameIt has only be about a week since I gave my presentation to the Ingham County Animal Control Shelter Advisory Board, so I'm assuming little has happened yet. The next county commission meeting isn't for another week. This would be the first opportunity for the representative from the advisory board to talk to the board of commissioners about my ordinance proposal.<br />
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I realize it's a busy time of year for everyone and a lot of people are changing positions or leaving certain board positions, so I'll have to be patient and see what happens in the next month or two.<br />
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I want to be persistent and keep in contact we the people who will be representing the goat ordinance, but I want to avoid pestering them much too!Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-15140957170074294202011-11-29T07:00:00.028-05:002011-11-29T07:00:02.204-05:00Timeline Update: Advisory Board MeetingSo I attended the Ingham County Animal Control Shelter Advisory board meeting last night. I was surprised because they actually put me on the agenda (so I had more time than a normal public comment). I handed out my information packets, gave my presentation, and then the board asked me some questions and we had some discussion. It was very informal (plus there were only 6 board members) and they were very nice and enthusiastic.<br />
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Overall, I think it went really well! They said that my info packet was really good and thorough (and joked that they should have me write proposals for them in the future). They mentioned that I might have to give my presentation again in the future (I'm assuming they are referring to a county comission meeting). A representative from the county is on this advisory board and he said that he would be happy to bring this up with the county commission. However, since we're getting towards the end of the year (and a lot of people either switch or end positions around this time of year), he said that he probably wouldn't be able to do anything until January.<br />
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I was really pleased with how it went. However, I'm not really sure what to expect at this point. I don't know if I should be expecting someone to contact me or if I will have to keep in touch with them. The next full board county commission meeting is December 13. I guess I'll probably wait until after that before contacting anyone asking for an estimate timeline.Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-6890169834288981352011-11-28T18:03:00.000-05:002011-11-28T18:03:22.674-05:00Tonight's the NightI'll be speaking to the Animal Control Shelter Advisory Board in approximately 30 minutes! Hopefully I'll have some news to report tomorrow morning. I'm not expecting them to come to an agreement tonight (it's way too early for that), but at least I'll know what the next step is.Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-30020407999707401622011-11-27T07:00:00.001-05:002011-11-27T07:00:01.546-05:00My Amendment Proposal<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Here's my proposed amendment to the Animal Control Ordinance. I've looked at similar ordinances from other cities and tried to incorporate all the important parts into the template that was used for the Ingham chicken ordinance.</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><br />
</span></b></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS</span></b></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">ORDINANCE AMENDING THE INGHAM COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL ORDINANCE TO PERMIT KEEPING MINIATURE GOATS IN NON-AGRICULTURAL AREAS</span></b></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">ORDINANCE NO._____</span></b></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">An Ordinance to amend the Ingham County Animal Control Ordinance to permit the keeping of miniature goats in non-agricultural areas of the County.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Section 2. </b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Amendment</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Article VIII of the Ingham County Animal Control Ordinance, entitled Prohibition of Livestock or Poultry in Non-Agricultural Areas, is amended to read as follows:</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.33in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.67in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">(a) No livestock or poultry shall be owned, kept, possessed, harbored or kept charge of within the boundaries or any non-agricultural area within Ingham County except as such places are provided for shipping said livestock or poultry.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.33in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.67in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.33in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.67in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(b) ** Section (b), which discusses the keeping of chickens on non-agricultural land has been omitted.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -2in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), and unless expressly prohibited or regulated by a city, village or township ordinance, or private property restriction, miniature goats may be owned, kept, possessed, harbored, and kept charge of within the boundaries of any non-agricultural area within Ingham County, under the following conditions:</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.33in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(i) No more than three (3) miniature (not more than 100 pounds) goats may be kept at the same time on any one- or two-family residential property, except that nursing offspring may be kept on the property until the age of twelve (12) weeks, and shall not be included in the number of goats allowed;</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -1.33in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.96in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-align: left; text-indent: -1.33in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(ii) All male goats must be neutered;</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></div><ol start="3" type="i"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(iii) Goats must be kept in an enclosure so constructed or repaired as to keep the goats confined on the owner’s property;</span></span></span></span></span></div></ol><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.67in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.67in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(iv) There must be at least one hundred and thirty (130) square feet of land space for each miniature goat as well as adequate shelter space for each goat.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 2in; margin-right: 0.67in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.67in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">(v) All feed and other items associated with the keeping of goats that are likely to attract or to become infested with or infected by rats, mice, or other rodents, shall be protected so as to prevent rats, mice, or other rodents from gaining access to or coming into contract with them.</span></span></span><br />
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</div><div align="JUSTIFY" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> P.S. sorry the alignment is all over the place! Can't figure out how to fix it in Blogger.</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div>Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-90956642593624414992011-11-26T13:27:00.000-05:002011-11-26T13:27:34.869-05:00Getting Ready!This coming Monday night I will be speaking to the Ingham County Animal Control Shelter Advisory Board about the possibility of amending the Animal Control Ordinance to allow for miniature dairy goats on non-agricultural land.<br />
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I have made a 10-page handout to distribute to each board member and I will also be giving a short presentation. I'll be posting the handout as soon as I get the formatting finalized.<br />
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I posted the <a href="http://lansingurbangoats.blogspot.com/2011/11/timeline-update-lots-of-researching-and.html">table of contents</a> a week ago, if you are interested.Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-37983792638575819712011-11-22T07:00:00.000-05:002011-11-22T07:00:02.133-05:00Dehorning and Disbudding<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Disbudding/dehorning is a common topic of debate among goat owners. Disbudding involves using a very hot iron to burn the horn buds off the skull of a baby goat (often less than a week old). Dehorning is the process of cutting off horns that have already grown to significant size. Both processes can be a dangerous, even life-threatening, medical procedures that can cause tetanus, brain damage, infection, or death from shock. Many goat owners consider the practice of disbudding/dehorning inhumane and unnecessary.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">So why would a goat owner want to disbud their goat? First, if a goat is to be shown in a competition, or if they are to be a project for 4-H, it must be disbudded/dehorned to qualify. Second, while goats are docile animals, their horns could cause accidental bumps or bruises. This may be especially important if small children will be interacting with the goat on a regular basis.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Obviously there are good arguments both for and against disbudding/dehorning. The goat owner should take their individual situation and desires into consideration before deciding to keep goats with horns or without horns. If an urban goat ordinance is added in Ingham County, I would suggest that disbudding/dehorning is neither required or prohibited, but rather left to the discretion of the owner.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you would like to view a video of the disbudding process, the following video is available on www.youtube.com. Please be warned that it may be graphic/disturbing to some individuals.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://youtu.be/GUL2ep3_RVw"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">http://youtu.be/GUL2ep3_RVw</span></span></a></u></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div>Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-20572347176752870072011-11-21T07:00:00.001-05:002011-11-21T10:55:34.951-05:00How to Navigate Zoning Laws and Other Ordinances<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's an example of how to decipher the laws in your area based on my experience with the <a href="http://www.ingham.org/bc/BC/INDEX/2009/09-345.htm">Ingham County backyard chicken amendment</a>. </span></span>The same information should hold for dairy goats since both chickens and goats are considered as “livestock”.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ingham County recently made an amendment to the <a href="http://ac.ingham.org/Portal/AC/Animal%20Control/ANIMALCONTROLORDINANCE.pdf">Animal Control Ordinance</a> legalizing the keeping of backyard poultry on non-agricultural land within the county. </span></span>However, the ordinance is still somewhat confusing because there is a “small catch” that I have bolded below. The ordinance reads as follows:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">“<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(a) No livestock or poultry shall be owned, kept, possessed, harbored or kept charge of within the boundaries or any non-agricultural area within Ingham County except as such places are provided for shipping said livestock or poultry.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), and </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>unless expressly prohibited or regulated</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> by a city, village or township ordinance, or private property restriction, chickens may be owned, kept, possessed, harbored, and kept charge of within the boundaries of any non-agricultural area within Ingham County...” </span></span></span></span> </div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">So basically, paragraph (a) states the original ordinance. Part (b) was added later to make an exception to part (a) and allow backyard chickens. However, the part about being “expressly prohibited by a city” means that you still can't have chickens in Ingham county if your city prohibits them. Keep in mind that the word “expressly” is defined as “specifically”, “explicitly”, or “with specific intentions”. </span></span> </div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">To check if your city allows livestock, you can look up the municipal code. Under the zoning section, you will likely see a list of “permitted uses” for each zoning type. For example, the Lansing municipal code lists the following permitted uses for residential zones: </span></span> </div><div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">a) A one-family dwelling;</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">b) A public park and playground;</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">c) A family day care home.</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span> </div><div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">...And that's it! Can you believe the list is so short? </span></span> </div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">As you can see, any permutation of “the keeping of livestock” is not listed under the permitted uses. And in theory, you are not allowed to do anything that is not specifically permitted! Of course, you'll also notice that the permitted uses does not mention the keeping of dogs, cats, goldfish, or vegetable gardens either, and obviously those things are not illegal! </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Getting back to my point...to my knowledge there is nowhere in the Lansing municipal code that expressly (there's that word again) prohibits the keeping of chickens (or goats). In fact, the word "chicken" (or "goat") is not found anywhere in the municipal code. Since Lansing does not have a specific chicken-prohibition ordinance, I'm assuming that citizens can defer to the Ingham County ordinance. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">But there's still another catch! If the city of Lansing chooses to create a specific ordinance outlawing urban chickens sometime in the future, the Lansing ordinance will trump the Ingham County ordinance. So at the moment, chicken keeping is legal in Lansing, but this could change in the future. That would really stink if you spent a lot of money on a chicken coop, enclosure, feed, and animals, only to have it outlawed a little ways down the road. However, I can't imagine that outlawing chickens is high on the priority list down at city hall!</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>If you are completely confused at this point, here's a quick summary:</b></span></span></div><ul><li><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Keeping chickens in the city of Lansing is not allowed because keeping livestock is not a permitted use of residential land.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ingham County made an ordinance to allow backyard chickens in all of Ingham county, unless a city has a specific ordinance against chickens.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since Lansing does not have a specific ordinance set in place to prohibit chickens, we can defer to the country ordinance, which says chickens are legal.</span></span></div></li>
<li><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">If the city of Lansing wishes to outlaw chickens, they may do so at any point by creating a specific ordinance. Why would they go to the bother of doing this? I don't know, but it could happen!</span></span></div></li>
</ul><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">P.S. I'm not a lawyer and I may have misinterpreted some of the details, so don't bet your life on what I'm saying!</span></span></div>Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-91196963061073572102011-11-20T07:00:00.002-05:002011-11-21T10:56:41.500-05:00Milk Misconception<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm not sure how common this misconception is, but many people assume that female cows and goats produce milk all the time, automatically.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The truth is, that in order to produce milk, a dairy animal must first become pregnant and give birth. Therefore, in order to produce milk, female goats (does) must be bred regularly. Since keeping un-castrated male goats (bucks) in the city would be inappropriate (they can be very smelly), urban goat owners will need to take their does to a breeder who provides this type of service (for a fee, of course).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After a 5-month gestation period, the mother goat will give birth to 1 to 4 offspring (called kids). Goats can generally give birth unassisted just fine, but it's a good idea to be prepared to assist or call for help. To avoid overcrowding (especially important in the urban setting), you will have to find homes for most, if not all, of the kids. The baby goats can be retained by the owner (all male kids will need to be castrated), sold to another dairy farmer, sold or retained for meat (yes, you can eat goats), or sold as pets. </div>Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-47454540903150238312011-11-19T07:00:00.007-05:002011-11-21T10:57:53.247-05:00Top Five Anti-Goat Arguments<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Just to show that I'm not completely biased, I did a lot of research to determine the most common concerns and misconceptions about keeping goats in the city. As you'll see, most of these anti-goat arguments simply aren't true, or they have very simple solutions.<br />
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<ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Goats are smelly</b></span></div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Un-castrated billy goats are well known for being smelly, therefore they are not appropriate for the urban setting. However, female goats, baby goats, and castrated male goats are not smelly</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">. In addition, goat droppings are very dry and do not smell, unlike dog and cat feces.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Goats are noisy</b></span></div></li>
</ul><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Most goats are no louder than neighborhood dogs or children. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Goats carry and transmit disease</b></span></div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Goats have no more potential to negatively impact human health than dogs and cats. Serious illnesses in people due to infections from goats are rare and disease risk can be reduced through proper sanitation and good husbandr</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">y. Dogs and cats can also transmit disease to humans (e.g. rabies, toxoplasmosis, salmonella, cat scratch fever, lyme disease, fleas, worms, etc.), but for all animals, proper care and common sense go a long way towards preventing disease.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Goats are escape artists</b></span></div></li>
</ul><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Goats are very curious and nimble, making them capable of escaping when improper and/or insufficient fencing is used. For example, poultry netting (a.k.a. chicken wire) is fairly flexible and lacks the strength required to safely contain goats. Therefore, strong and resilient fencing intended for livestock, chain-link fencing, or solid wood fencing should be used.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Goats are dangerous</span></b></div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Goats are common fixtures at children's petting zoos because they are such docile and friendly animals. They pose very little threat to children, certainly no more than a dog or cat. As with any animal, young children should be supervised when interacting with goats (more for the goat's safety than the child's). To prevent accidental bumps and bruises, goats can be dehorned or disbudded. </span></span></span></div></div><ul></ul>Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5900055447149141992.post-17856885302107932302011-11-18T17:30:00.003-05:002011-11-18T17:30:00.382-05:00Timeline Update: Lots of Researching and WritingI have started drafting an information packet to give to the members of the Ingham County Animal Control Advisory Board at their next meeting (the Monday after Thanksgiving). I haven't decided what kind of presentation I want to give yet. Here are my two options: 1) Lead them all through the information packet, page by page, while they follow along in their own copy, or 2) Give a generalized introduction and proposal, briefly explain the contents of the information packet, and then let them digest all the material on their own.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here's the current table of contents (but keep in mind that each of these sections will have many subsections):<br />
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Contents:</b></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Introduction and Proposal</b></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>About Miniature Dairy Goats</b></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Why Would Anyone Want a Goat?</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>Common Concerns and Misconceptions About Goats</i></span></i></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Requirements and Suggested Regulations for Urban Goat Keeping</i></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Other Cities with Urban Goat Ordinances</b></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Seattle, WA </i></span> </div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> Charlottesville, VA</i></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> Denver, CO</i></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Amendment Proposal</b></span><br />
<b><br />
</b></div>Green Zebra Market Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10030147550078130741noreply@blogger.com0