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There is no reader question this week. Helena has a topic she’d like to address.
It’s increasingly common for people to keep chickens and bees in their backyards (not to mention rabbits, goats, and pigs). But it isn’t always appreciated by one’s neighbors. I interviewed some urban farmers and got the scoop on their three biggest etiquette challenges.
1. Should you ask neighbors’ permission to keep critters?
Absolutely not, insists Cameo Wood, owner of Her Majesty’s Secret Beekeeper. Misplaced fears may lead them to refuse. For instance, people often wrongly claim they are allergic to bees, says Wood, though this is true only of .01 percent of the population.
One beekeeper she knows made the mistake of consulting the neighbors first. “[They] said everyone in their family would go into anaphylactic shock if stung. They said she was basically trying to kill their family, and they were going to call the police and the fire department and throw ant bombs into her yard.”
People are also afraid that bees will infest their gardens or worse, swarm and attack. In fact, bees typically like to forage further afield than next door, says Wood. And, explains Andrew Coté, who has 35 beehives in Manhattan and Brooklyn, bees look scary when they’re swarming in a giant clump while searching for a new place to build a hive, but they’re actually at their least dangerous then. “Since they have left their old hive, they have nothing to defend.”
Bees aren’t the only species to be misunderstood. Esperanza Pallana, who keeps rabbits and chickens and other poultry in her Oakland backyard, says: “A lot of people think birds are dirty and carry disease.” One of her ducks escaped, only to materialize inside the local 7-Eleven. A panicked employee called the police. “People are so disconnected from animals and nature, they don’t know what may or may not harm them,” says Pallana.
The answer is to keep your urban farm on the down-low while installing it. Once people realize that your chickens haven’t given them avian flu and your bees aren’t interested in mauling their toddler, they’ll be more likely to accept your activities.
2. How do you avoid upsetting the neighbors if you’re slaughtering livestock in your backyard?
Slaughtering a rabbit is like watching porn. Your neighbors may not have a problem with it on an intellectual level, but they certainly do not want to see—or hear—you doing it. K. Ruby Blume, founder and director of the Oakland Institute of Urban Homesteading, says she kills rabbits in parts of her yard that the neighbors can’t see into and puts up a tarp if necessary. Thankfully, if you do it right, slaughtering shouldn’t create a lot of noise or smell. According to Pallana, “If you hear the noise of an animal in pain, something has gone terribly wrong.”
3. What’s the best way to placate neighbors who complain?
Make concessions if you can, even if you think their complaint is unjustified. That makes them feel heard. A neighbor of Blume’s was convinced her bees were ruining his barbecues and invading his house. In fact, the troublesome insects were wasps. Nonetheless, Blume mollified him by turning her hive to face away from his yard (bees fly in the direction their door faces).
Distribute the fruits of your labor. “I give people honey and eggs,” says Pallana. “If I have meat, or preserves and pickles, I will share them.”
Or, once your farming is going nicely, invite the neighbors over and give them a tour. Thomas Kriese, creator of the blog Urban Chickens, received complaints about noise when he first got his two birds. “They sing an egg song when they lay an egg. It can be just a couple clucks or a real ‘ca-caw’ that is audible over several yards.” Eventually, people got used to the noise, but visits definitely helped improve neighborly relations, Kriese says. Letting kids pet your chickens or giving them an impromptu lesson about where eggs come from can help placate their parents.
Follow the urban farmer’s code of etiquette and eventually, your neighbors may even come to enjoy pitching in when you’re out of town, says Kriese. “It’s much easier to get a chicken sitter than a dog sitter.”
I used to have a small backyard laying flock of chickens, sometimes the girls would raise a fuss if they were laying an egg or the lawn mower was on, but the neighbors never complained. We kept the manure picked up, though, and used the fly bait bags all over the yard.
I have to say I would be pretty pissed off if somebody decided to have beehives in the neighborhood, esp. since most of the...+READ
I used to have a small backyard laying flock of chickens, sometimes the girls would raise a fuss if they were laying an egg or the lawn mower was on, but the neighbors never complained. We kept the manure picked up, though, and used the fly bait bags all over the yard.
I have to say I would be pretty pissed off if somebody decided to have beehives in the neighborhood, esp. since most of the bees here are at least part Africanized bees, to me that's not a good neighbor. I lived in an apartment next to one of the the U of A's agriculture properties once, they had at least one apiary. The damn bees would fly up and crawl into any beer by the pool and since you couldn't have glass at the pool you couldn't tell if a coupla bees had crawled into your beer, with some horrible results. Not speakng from personal experience because i never have liked beer tha ch, but I did watch the beesting beer dance several times, and consider it a true nuisance.
If you raise animals for slaughter, keep their enclosures clean, treat them very well, and goddammit I don't want to have to listen to them being killed.-COLLAPSE
Does no one live in a city with laws about this? In LA, you need 35 feet from the chicken coop to the property line, Honestly, I wish the author of this column had some facts at her disposal.
I see people of various food philosophys on here bemoan the large meat producer's habits & customs for various reasons (many of which are valid), then others complain when a person wants to take personal responsibility and raise their own food. THATS why you don't ask a neighbor. It's none of his business. Every community has their, rules or the lack of them. Choose to live where the rules suit...+READ
I see people of various food philosophys on here bemoan the large meat producer's habits & customs for various reasons (many of which are valid), then others complain when a person wants to take personal responsibility and raise their own food. THATS why you don't ask a neighbor. It's none of his business. Every community has their, rules or the lack of them. Choose to live where the rules suit your way of life. For instance I would go mad stuck in town. People all around, thinking that it's perfectly ok for them to decide what I can do in my home and space...-COLLAPSE
I would like to point out that the kinds of rabbits raised for food are different than the kinds we keep as pets. Most rabbits used for food aren't actually 'cute', at least after they are babies. (ALL baby animals are cute, IMHO.) At any rate, rabbits have been used for food for about as long as they've existed. (And, yes, they ARE delicious) On the other hand, raising rabbits for their fur is a...+READ
I would like to point out that the kinds of rabbits raised for food are different than the kinds we keep as pets. Most rabbits used for food aren't actually 'cute', at least after they are babies. (ALL baby animals are cute, IMHO.) At any rate, rabbits have been used for food for about as long as they've existed. (And, yes, they ARE delicious) On the other hand, raising rabbits for their fur is a bad thing. (Those DO tend to be the kinds kept as pets by many. And, usually they aren't used as food after slaughter, as their meat tends to be not-so-good. I DO think if one slaughters animals for food, the rest of them should have some practical use. Most of our leather goods are made from the same cows we use as food, which is why I don't mind wearing leather shoes, etc. Wasting any useful part of an animal is bad. (Including the offal, most of which can be delicious.)-COLLAPSE
Nicolson: I'm not saying I would sue a neighbor who kept bees if I were stung. It would be tricky to point blame, yes. I think I was assuming that beekeeping is outlawed in most residential neighborhoods, so if there were a major bee event of some kind, especially if it resulted in death (or a hospital stay), the beekeeping kid on the block would be in trouble. I thought this might be an issue...+READ
Nicolson: I'm not saying I would sue a neighbor who kept bees if I were stung. It would be tricky to point blame, yes. I think I was assuming that beekeeping is outlawed in most residential neighborhoods, so if there were a major bee event of some kind, especially if it resulted in death (or a hospital stay), the beekeeping kid on the block would be in trouble. I thought this might be an issue especially since this article recommends not asking your neighbors first. And I know all about epi-pens.
Hey, I hate people who kill pigs (or chickens) too, especially if they do it next door to me--again, whether I can see it or not. Yes, I'm a vegetarian. (And I have no trouble with the word "rabbit," and I know they eat their own poop.)
I agree about the hipster backyard farming trend being tiresome. Farming is hard. Even gardening is hard. Harder than buying artisanal olive oil, fair-trade chocolate cupcakes, or heirloom tomato seeds.-COLLAPSE
Helena kinda boring and somewhat pendantic;
But I really enjoy the comments. So many views!
I used to know a respiratory therapist who specialized in people who kept or raised various types of birds. Not sure about chickens, but the droppings of birds can turn into powder and be inhaled, causing respiratory problems. I don't think it's a problem if you are meticulous in cleaning up after them.
Vorpal, true...though at least this week is more about etiquette than the last two (bake sales and bulk foods). This week at least does involve relationships with your neighbors (and has lead to some interesting/humorous comments).
mattwarner: I've been wondering the same thing. Does anyone still write in to this column? It seems like 75% of Helena's hubris is in response to her own meanderings instead of towards a letter writer.
Now that it's outlived its usefulness and had a long and productive life, perhaps it's time for Table Manners to pass away.
Them there bunnies make great slippers.
nicolson - I live in Pico Union, a densely populated, low income urban area and the people here have no problem raising chickens in their tiny yards. Not sure if it's legal or done properly, but they certainly seem to be able to do it with few issues.
I'm a veg for moral reasons. I grew up with neighbours who raised, killed and ate rabbits. To be honest, I never had a problem with it: they were good to their animals and they did their slaughtering discreetly (so that all you noticed was that the rabbits were suddenly gone).
While you may not want to ask permission, it would be nice to inform your neighbours before setting up. They'll probably...+READ
I'm a veg for moral reasons. I grew up with neighbours who raised, killed and ate rabbits. To be honest, I never had a problem with it: they were good to their animals and they did their slaughtering discreetly (so that all you noticed was that the rabbits were suddenly gone).
While you may not want to ask permission, it would be nice to inform your neighbours before setting up. They'll probably be more receptive to the idea if they know ahead of time, instead of finding out when the rooster crows at 3 a.m. Besides, you don't want them mistaking your creatures for some lost animal and calling animal services on you.-COLLAPSE
Am I missing something? I didn't see the original poster's letter. Or, have people stopped writing in to this column entirely?
Guilty: How would you know that the bee came for sure from the neighbor's hive and that it wasn't a "wild bee"? DNA testing of the bee? Come on. Most people with serious bee allergies carry epi-pens for the very reason that you can never be sure when you'll need it. It sucks, but for those people, stepping outside is a risk--and that's not changed by your neighbor having a hive.
Also, I had a...+READ
Guilty: How would you know that the bee came for sure from the neighbor's hive and that it wasn't a "wild bee"? DNA testing of the bee? Come on. Most people with serious bee allergies carry epi-pens for the very reason that you can never be sure when you'll need it. It sucks, but for those people, stepping outside is a risk--and that's not changed by your neighbor having a hive.
Also, I had a pet rabbit for 12 years and honestly, the idea of "hating" someone who raises rabbits in a humane way, for meat, and slaughters them in an appropriate manner is pretty silly. Pigs in particular are arguably as smart (and as affectionate) as rabbits, but they're used for food.
I will say, however, that I think the whole hipster "backyard" farming thing is a bit overblown. Most people living an urban life are simply not prepared for the cost/time/maintenance to do these things properly. (And please people, don't attempt to raise animals in your backyard unless you're REALLY sure you know what the heck you're doing. That goes *triple* for home slaughtering. If you don't know what you're doing DON'T DO IT. If you think you might be too squeamish to do it, *you are*. A good slaughtering process requires the person doing the slaughtering to be quick and skilled for the sake of all involved.)-COLLAPSE
All this talk of bunnies is making me crave hasenpfeffer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDe8fTgVUZw
HJ, I love bunnies, too. But I can never finish one all by myself.
Just as a courtesy you should always discuss with your neighbors any matters that may be likely to affect them. Payoffs in the form of final end food products are the way to go.
Oh, did you notice that all the anti-animal-slaughter people write "bunnies" instead of "rabbits"? Yeah, call them "bunnies," that'll stop people from eating them. And by the way - they are delicious.
I'm on the same page with Lisavf; depending on where you're at, you might need a permit for this kind of thing - especially if you're going to make a business out of it.
Bunnies are for loving not eating. Period. If I knew I had a neighbor who killed rabbits, I would probably move. And maybe try to get them arrested for something. Or break into their yard and steal all their rabbits and give them to a shelter out of state where they could not be traced.
Helena forgot to mention the most important first step - check your local ordinances to see whether what you're considering is allowed and if a permit is needed. If it is allowed, then it is not necessary to consult your neighbors to ask their permission, but it would be a nice gesture to tell them what you are planning.
We are actually in the process of setting up bee hives right now. We had discussed it with our neighbors, and luckily no one objected. I think they are all looking forward to the honey. The ridiculous part is that there are already tons of bees in our yard anyway because I have a lot of flowering plants. The ones that we will be getting for the hive are a non aggressive variety of honey bee, and...+READ
We are actually in the process of setting up bee hives right now. We had discussed it with our neighbors, and luckily no one objected. I think they are all looking forward to the honey. The ridiculous part is that there are already tons of bees in our yard anyway because I have a lot of flowering plants. The ones that we will be getting for the hive are a non aggressive variety of honey bee, and probably less likely to sting someone (allergic or not) than some of the other bees we have flying around. No one's yard is guaranteed to be bee free, so someone with an allergy should be prepared with an epi pen regardless.-COLLAPSE
So, what if your neighbor really is allergic to bees, and goes into anaphylactic shock when s/he gets stung by one of yours? Sounds like a jail sentence to me.
Also, if you kill bunnies, I will hate you, whether I can see it or not.