Vermont town gives ax to woman's chickens

[September 10, 2009]  BARRE, Vt. (AP) -- A Vermont town has given the ax to a woman's fledgling chicken business after neighbors complained about wandering birds and loud roosters.

Board members in Barre on Tuesday ordered Kathy Rubalcaba to pay $600 in fines, get rid of all but one of her roosters and keep her chickens penned up.

Rubalcaba denied a neighbor's claims that her chickens were responsible for some property damage. She did say that she has clipped her chickens' wings and installed a taller fence. She raises the chickens for her egg business "layed in Vermont."

She didn't deny her roosters occasionally make noise. Neighbors said the crowing was far worse than that.

The Times Argus reported the board found evidence to believe Rubalcaba's chickens and roosters had violated provisions of the town's "Nuisance Control Ordinance."

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Information from: The Times Argus, http://www.timesargus.com/

[Associated Press]

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