Here is the letter to city council we wrote. Hope it helps to clarify the
issues we are facing. Call your council officials.
City issued permit in July to Sam Kvale to raise chickens at 1227 Norton Ave.
Monday, August 31 we received notification via telephone that our permit had
been revoked because of a “health hazard” complaint.
City Ordinance for Revocation of Livestock Permit
-Failure to confine (no complaints)
-Sound or objectionable smell (no complaints)
-Nuisance which is defined as: “Keeping, maintaining or harboring an animal
that has bitten, scratched, or otherwise caused bodily harm to two or more
persons within a period of 12 consecutive months. (Code 1986, 10.43, subd,
3(D)) (no complaints)
-Any justifiable reason
We presume that our permit is being revoked under the any justifiable reason
clause based on the health hazard complaint. We have been committed to the
health of the birds, ourselves, and community from the beginning and take these
health concerns very seriously. We are committed to resolving this issue.
We are consulting with a local veterinarian, the Animal Health Board, the U. of
M. Animal Hospital, the County Health Department, as well as the Minnesota
Department of Health about the possible risks involved.
Facts about chicken to human illnesses:
-Diseases that can be spread from chickens to humans are spread by contact with
the birds or their manure and are unlikely to be found in a pastured flock of
our size, exposed to air and sunshine.
-Additionally, these diseases are symptomatic, which means the birds would show
signs of illness and would be dying. Neither of these things has happened.
-All of the chickens are healthy. Officer Charboneau said he was very
impressed by the condition of the birds and their living area.
-We are willing to have them checked out by a vet.
-Nobody who works with the chickens is ill.
-There is no human to human spreading of any of these diseases, except avian
flu which has never been found in MN. Our small flock does not have and is not
at risk of having bird flu.
”In 2004, the United States experienced the first highly pathogenic avian
influenza outbreak among poultry in 20 years. This was an outbreak of avian
influenza A (H5N2) which occurred in Texas. The outbreak was reported in a
flock of 7,000 chickens in south-central Texas. There was no report of
transmission to humans.”
-http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/avian-flu-humans.htm
Other neighborhood and chicken facts:
-We have the support of all adjoining neighbors.
-The property in question is 150-250 feet away from the chickens depending on
where the portable fencing is set up.
-The chickens are checked on daily and the portable 40 by 40 pen is moved as
needed, at least once a week.
-Our flock more than three times the space recommended for raising healthy
pastured chickens.