This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Decatur Tells Oakhurst Chicken Owner to Get Rid of Goats

Oakhurst's self-described "Crazy Chicken Lady" has run afoul of Decatur's zoning laws by having three goats, which may be livestock.

With a blog titled "Crazy Chicken Lady," it's not surprising to discover that Stacy Reno has 20 chickens, 20 baby chicks, a turkey, a duck, and three goats in her Oakhurst backyard.

After spending Easter Sunday cleaning her coops, Reno was dismayed to discover a city citation on her door Monday morning, giving her 30 days to remove or relocate her goats.

She acquired the Nigerian Dwarf goats about a month ago.

Find out what's happening in Decatur-Avondale Estateswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I have seriously been crying all day long," said Reno, a real estate agent.

But thanks to the tweeting of a bunch of bleating heart animal lovers, Reno's goats -- named Holy Cow, Little Victor and Button --may not have to move from Oakhurst.

Find out what's happening in Decatur-Avondale Estateswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Assistant City Manager David Junger, who oversees code enforcement, says the city could choose to view the Oakhurst goats as domesticated animals instead of livestock. The former can be kept in the city; the latter can't.

"We're still checking into this," said Junger, who conferred with City Manager Peggy Merriss about the matter. Junger said another city resident kept goats as domesticated animals in a yard in the . Neighborhood children would pick kudzu leaves from a nearby lot to feed the goats.

To keep the goats, Reno would also have to meet other sections of city code, such as keeping the yard sanitary and providing at least four square feet of space for each of the goats and other animals she keeps.

The city posted the notice on Reno's door after someone complained about the animals, Junger said.

Reno knows at least one neighbor who has been uncomfortable with her critters, and she voluntarily gave away three roosters to help keep the peace. But apparently the baby goats got the neighbor's goat.

City ordinances say livestock must be kept on at least two acres, Junger said, but goats are sometimes livestock and sometimes they're not.

Fowl cages must be kept at least 75 feet away from nearby residences, Junger said. Reno thinks that ordinance would be difficult to adhere to in a neighborhood in which lots are only 50 feet wide.

Reno's two daughters bottle-feed the goats and would be heartbroken to have to give them up, she said.

Reno's friends tweeted her plight and raised a cackle of support, including from Dana Young, owner of Dragonfly Reiki. Although Young doesn't live near Reno, she says she doesn't think her goats and birds are any noisier than dogs that bark all day.

"Boo to city of #DecaturGA for not supporting reasonable zoning laws
for backyard chicken coops & sustainability," tweeted Young.

STORY NOTE:

** story amended 4/26 to include 20 baby chicks, and a duck. There were two ducks but her turkey allegedly killed one duck overnight.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Decatur-Avondale Estates