HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0765.129 2016-2018 Murashige, Laura
From: Margaret Russo <ret.russo@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2018 12:19 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony for Bill 112, Regarding Roosters on Lots in Hawai'i County Zoned
Agricultural-Residential
cpOffice of the County
Clerk ''
Attention, Council''
Testimony
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RE: BILL 112, REGARDING ROOSTERS ON LOTS ZONED AGRICULTURAL-RESIDENTIAL
Aloha kakou,
I am writing to express my opposition to Bill 112, which negatively impacts backyard poultry farming on agriculture-residential
lots in Hawaii County.
Many years ago, we moved here from `Oahu, where my kids and I were born, so we could grow our own food and raise farm
animals. That's why we settled in Puna. We bought agriculture-residential lots so future generations of our`ohana could have
affordable homes where they could raise their own food.
My`ohana raises free-range, backyard chickens.We raise hens, chicks, and roosters for fun and food—yes, we regularly
harvest our adult birds, including roosters, for food. We own several contiguous lots, of which 60,000 square feet are fenced.
Our lots range from 68 feet wide to 150 feet wide. Most lots in Puna are"spaghetti properties," narrow in width and expansive in
length.
Bill 112 stipulates that farms with more than four roosters must keep them 75 feet from the property boundaries. Even our
largest lots in Puna would not be wide enough to meet these restrictions.
Many people unaccustomed to living on a farm think that roosters are raised only for fighting. That is not true. Roosters act as
protectors of the flock, warning the hens and chicks of ground predators (mongoose, dogs, and cats) and aerial threats (such as
the endangered Hawaiian hawk). Outlying roosters also are the first line of defense for the flock, distracting and attempting to
lure predators away from the hens and chicks, and ultimately sacrificing their lives for the flock. When there are too few roosters,
the flock is not sustainable. Nesting hens and chicks are especially vulnerable to predation and need the protection that roosters
provide.
Much lip service is given to"sustainability,"yet most of Hawai`i's food is imported. Bill 112 negatively impacts backyard poultry
farming on lots zoned for agricultural-residential use. Bill 112 is a step backwards from a sustainable future for Hawaiinei.
Com M. ? 0. -1(0121o
Please vote"no"on Bill 112. Ref. To: -�
1 Ref. Date MAR 1 3 2018
Mahalo nui loa,
Margaret Russo
P. O. Box 428
Volcano, HI 96785
2