How to Get Urban Chickens in Columbus, Ohio

Thanks for posting. I live in Columbus. I wasn't aware I needed a permit to keep chickens. And frankly, if my neighbors don't mind, I think I'll skip the whole permit thing. One of my neighbors has a goat, the other one is operating a body shop out of his garage, and the guy next door sells rib dinners from his front porch. Not a permit in sight lol. Our neighborhood is quiet and clean, goats, cars, ribs and all. I think the hoops you had to jump through are ridiculous. Your coop is super cute though!

I don't have any chickens yet, I'm just starting the whole education process. Like you, I'll wait until I'm well versed on the whole topic before I take the plunge into chickendom.

Way to go!

I live in 43207 S. Columbus and when I contacted the city they sent me to 311 call center who told me to contact city health department. I just got my email back from them today it read.

I  received your email about keeping chicken or ducks on your property.  The Board of Health does not have any regulations that prohibit any one from having them.  We would only get involved if property was not kept in a clean and sanitary conditions, i.e. excessive waste, odor or insect problems.  There may be a restriction by local zoning against having them.  You may contact Franklin County Zoning at 462-3094.  Please contact me if you have any further questions.





Charlie Broschart, R.S.

Community Environmental Health Services

Franklin County Board of Health

Phone: (614) 462-4538

Fax: (614) 462-3851

cdbrosch@franklincountyohio.gov

I've yet to call zoning but this process sounds like it will take me quite a long time so I should have plenty of time to get my hen house ready...lol

Hmmm, either the law is open to interpretation, or the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing LOL! Gotta love government agencies

that's what I think. I still emailed Dr. Messer who was listed as the contact by the above poster. I'm not planning on having my chicks till early summer so I have some time I suppose.

I opened my email and much to my suprise there was an email from Dr. Messer it read....

Ms. Stone:
You may apply for a permit for the keeping of such chickens in the City of Columbus. The section of Health Code that applies to animal permits is attached as a Word document. In short, the following criteria are evaluated in the consideration of a permit:
·         public safety,

·         public health,

·         animal confinement,

·         animal cruelty,

·         animal welfare,

·         neighborhood  opinion, and

·         owner keeper harborer knowledge and ability.




Respectfully,

Aaron K. Messer DVM, RS
Public Health Veterinarian / Registered Sanitarian
Columbus Public Health
240 Parsons Avenue
Columbus, Ohio  43215-5331
Phone: (614) 645-6748
Cell: (614) 216-5154
Fax: (614) 645-7155
E-mail: amesser@columbus.gov
CPH Website: www.publichealth.columbus.gov
Confidentiality Notice:  This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information.  Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited.  If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original transmission.


The document he sent me reads as follows...

COLUMBUS CITY HEALTH CODE
221.05 STANDARDS RELATIVE TO ANIMALS AND FOWL.
(a) No person shall keep any equine, cow, sheep, goat, pig, llama or other large animal in any stable, barn or structure unless that stable, barn or other structure shall have a floor of impervious material and shall be so drained that all fluid excrement or refuse liquid shall be conducted into a City sanitary sewer. All manure and refuse shall be placed in tightly covered containers and removed from the premises before the manure and other refuse becomes offensive. The structure, animals and premises shall be kept in sanitary condition so that they shall not become offensive and so that they will not harbor animal or insect pests.
1) Exemption shall be made for any land annexed into the City of Columbus which is zoned agriculture and/or currently has livestock and/or domestic fowl at the time of annexation.
2) This exemption shall be in force as long as this land is zoned and/or used for agricultural purposes and poses no environmental or health hazards. (Amended 3/1/92, Resolution 92-5)
(b) No person shall keep, store, maintain, shelter or care of, at any time, animals of the hog or goat kind, equine, cow, alligator, crocodile, caiman, sheep, goat, llama, captive wild fowl, and all domestic fowl in any pen or enclosure on any premise, lot or parcel of land in the City without written permission from the Health Commissioner. Anyone intending to keep such animals must first obtain a permit from the Health Commissioner. Each pen or enclosure for such animals shall have a floor of impervious material and be under cover. The Health Commissioner may grant permission on the above situations only after it is determined that the keeping of such animals:
(1) creates no adverse environmental or health effects;
(2) is in compliance with all other sections of this chapter; and
(3) in the judgment of the Health Commissioner, after consultation with the staff of the Health Department and with the surrounding occupants of the place of keeping such animals, and considering the nature of the community (i.e., residential or commercial single or multiple dwellings, etc. ), is reasonably inoffensive. The Health Commissioner may revoke such permission at any time for violation of this chapter or any other just cause. (Amended 3/1/92, Resolution 92-5)


This is just a big pain. I pay my property taxes, city and state taxes only to have the government tell me what I can and cannot do...

See, you shouldn'ta gone and drug them folks into your business lol!

I have the utmost respect for anyone who is willing to go through all that falderal. I however believe in the old maxim 'It's better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission."

LOL! I'm an outlaw rebel guerrilla chicken farmer!

Good luck to you hun. You can do it. And the reward is worth the hassle.

I have an elderly lady who is "out to get us" so I wanted to cover all my bases. She has complained about just about everything on our house. We can't leave a toddler toy in the front yard without getting some type of complaint....lol.

I considered being an outlaw but I cna't afford the fines.