By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals has ordered a Palestine Lake area resident to get rid of his free-range chickens.
The BZA received a complaint about the chickens, but Michael McKay, who owns four of the birds and said he considers them to be more like pets, said two adjacent neighbors are ok with them.
McKay lives on Bass Drive south of the lake.
The problem is that they are within two miles of several concentrated feeding operations and and the threat of bird flu represents a major concern.
“This is an issue that’s bigger than all of us because of Bird Flu and our poultry producers are very concerned about this,” said BZA board member Lee Harman, who spoke during Tuesday’s hearing. “This is very serious … we can’t start making exceptions for this because of the economic impact this could have on our county.”
Large chicken operations across northern Indiana, including at least one in Kosciusko County, have been affected by Bird Flu, but cases have dropped in recent months.
Board member Kevin McSherry said McKay’s chickens are at a greater risk of bird flu due to their proximity to ducks on Palestine Lake.
McKay was told to get rid of the animals within 60 days.
The decision was unanimous.
