Measure would limit roosters in parts of Riverside
By: Associated Press | ∞
RIVERSIDE -- Rooster owners in this Southern California city may be about to get their feathers ruffled.
Measure A on Tuesday's ballot seeks to muffle incessant cock-a-doodle-dooing and curb cockfighting by limiting the number of roosters residents can own in rural areas.
"It just goes from about 3 o'clock in the morning to 8 or 9 o'clock at night," said Lee Scheffers, who said his neighbors had up to 200 roosters at one time. "There's just a lot of crowing going on. Every one is more macho than the other one."
After he complained to the City Council, code enforcement officers took action -- but not until Scheffers had lost a lot of sleep.
The current law allows 50 birds, but the measure would only allow seven and require the birds be confined to an "acoustical structure" at least 100 feet from neighbors from sunrise to sunset.
If the measure passes, those with too many roosters would have to trim their flocks.
Riverside County has strict laws limiting rooster ownership, which had driven illegal cock-fighting operations into the city, particularly in rural areas of citrus groves, nurseries and ranches where local law mandates no more than one house per five-acre lot.
"It's a real quality of life issue, but it's also an animal cruelty issue," said Councilman Chris Mac Arthur, who said the measure is also aimed at stopping cockfighting.
Mac Arthur, a Riverside native, said he favors the measure although it won't have a direct impact on him. The measure needs a simple majority to pass.
"I've lived in this area most of my life, but I do not have any crowing fowl -- or any fowl to speak of," he said.
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chicken fowl wrote on Feb 5, 2008 6:21 AM:Ok seven is a good number but a lot of us around these parts in trying to hang on to our way of country living BEFORE these city people got into the mix some things are just the way they are ... When I go into the city I don't tell them city people the way they should be doing things or trying to change the city ... so if you move from the city into the country YOU CHANGE... thanks
Chesca wrote on Feb 5, 2008 10:00 PM:This is America not a thrid world country, I thought that that meant we had rights? These stupid little laws just slowly take those rights away. How many animals we can have on our property? That we bought with our own hard earned money? Give me a break.
carlos wrote on Feb 5, 2008 11:06 PM:These people who raise and house game cocks are for the pourpose of selling and fighting... These are the people who should be looked at. I my self have chickins and they are egg layers all hens. there all quiet at night and to limit every one else to 7 birds is this only to chickens ? Som people have show chickens and some people sell them for food....I feel these game cocks used for fighting are the problem...Find out what breed o noisy cocks are the culperts to the noise polution...The game cock is the pit bull of the chickens...
Art wrote on Feb 5, 2008 11:15 PM:I lived next to the infamous rooster "gladiator school" mentioned in this article. They were being trained for cock fighting.It has been Non stop noise, a true living hell. Personally I'm mad as hell something hasnt been done sooner and I will work to make this new law vigorously enforced. I have I am proud to say have been fighting with the city to remove farm animals out of city limits for years now.
The other poster is right. This is not a 3rd world country. Farm animals belong on farms, not in Cities being an ongoing nuisance.This is not Mexico.
I was here before the roosters, the horses, and the noise. What a peaceful quiet community it was. Then the Orange County Cowboys came in wanting to play rancher in their back yards. Creating filth, reeking fecal smell, noise and ugliness these pretend cowboys have made a mess of a once nice community.
Add to that the growing influx of illegal aliens and their ingrained third world culture of animal abuse became a clear wake up call for the City of Riverside to take action and do something.
Want to live like a farmer? Then buy a farm! Don't expect your neighbors to put up with a rural lifestyle in city limits.
And it is.
cowboy wrote on Aug 5, 2008 5:03 AM:Look the way i feel about this is if everyone was the same it would be boring.I live in town and i have 25 roosters and hens so dont give me that bull...My fowl get the best possible no matter what my neigbors love them.They are game fowl so if people take good care of there fowl and keep them disese free why brow beat them. So people are not as stuck up and prisses as others.I feel your jealous of what other people have.
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