Need your input to help draft new city ordinance for Backyard Chickens!

[SkiboJeff]

Greetings all and Happy New Year. I'm new to the group and don't have a coop or any chickens yet. I have designed my ideal coop and I've fantasized about the breeds of chickens I'm going to get. One slight issue is holding me up. My city, approximate population of 75,000, doesn't presently allow chickens. Our city council met in September 2020 to discuss a chicken ordinance and they have a Study Group meeting, this Jan 12th, to discuss the possibility of creating an ordinance. I know all of the council folks very well and I am a commissioner on an unrelated city advisory board. It is my intention to write them all a letter, prior to their study session, outlining my opinion as to which issues and type of things should be addressed by the (hopefully) new ordinance.

Some things I am thinking about:

• Chickens are flock animals and at least 8-12 adult chickens should be allowed.
• Provide definition of birds by age. Allow 8-12 chicks, pullets, and cockerels under the age of 30 weeks.
• Allow one rooster if kept in coop from dusk to dawn. Needed for predator security and breeding.
• Follow same noise ordinance as dogs.
• Keep the rules for coops and runs simple. Make them a part of zoning ordinance. Define similarly to greenhouses and auxiliary outbuildings like garden sheds.
• Reasonable care of the animals must be afforded in all aspects including proper handling, restraining, sheltering, exercise, grooming, nutrition, watering, parasite and waste management, and veterinary care for the species of animal kept. Industry or breed standards for the breed and type of animal may be used to determine whether reasonable care is being provided. Poor condition or health in the absence of veterinary supervision is prima facie evidence of a violation.
• Clean water must at all times be present and available for the animals. Feed must be animal-appropriate and stored in such a manner as to prohibit contamination by moisture, mold, and insects and to restrict access by rodents.
• Odors from the animals or from animal waste must not be discernible at any property line.
• Waste must be collected and removed or composted regularly.
• Slaughter must be limited to personal livestock, must not be conducted in the front yard, and must be conducted within a completely screened area. Remains must be disposed of and removed from the site within 24 hours.

Thanks in advance for your help.
SkiboJeff

(FYI - Skibo is an off the grid place in the Superior National Forest area of northern MN. Although I live in a big city near Minneapolis, I also own a cabin there and my neighbors have 40 chickens).

 

[rosemarythyme]

One thing I'm curious is what is the general lot size and house set back in your city?

Asking to allow roosters in a suburban environment is almost a guaranteed way to have this voted down without anyone looking at any other part of your plan. 12 birds is also a lot more than most cities allow, however if the average home in your city is on acreage lots, then that's a different matter.

What is the current setback required for auxiliary outbuildings?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Personally, requiring vet care for a chicken is ridiculous. If they want to provide vet care, fine. But it shouldn't be required.

I do get the health based on breed standard though. You won't believe how many people think my naked necks are being mistreated because they can't grow neck feathers

 

[CluckerFamily]

I agree that 8-12 chickens is a huge number for that size of a lot. Most prefab coops can only house about 3 full grown chickens (prefab coops also over exaggerate what coops can house, their number they advertise should at least be cut in half)
Roosters crow 24/7/365 not just at dusk or dawn but all day and all night.

 

[SkiboJeff]

I just ran across this thread. How'd it go? When will you find out???

The city council had a study group yesterday and it seems like most of the council is in favor of passing an ordinance. Here are the highlights: 4 hens, no roosters, 200 sq ft coop and run maximum without having a bldg permit or code compliance, 10ft bldg height, 10 ft setback from property line, 50 ft distance from neighbor dwelling, no free range, rodent proof food storage containers, maintain clean coop and run. Actually looking pretty good. Now goes to Planning Commission and then back to city council for a vote in March.

 

[SkiboJeff]

Hi fellow chicken lovers. My city council is meeting next Tuesday to vote on a chicken ordinance. It has the support to pass. I just emailed them arguments on my final issues below:

• Four is not enough chickens. Should be at least six to maintain flock.
• License fee required. None required for other domestic animals.
• Requires taking a chicken education class. None required for other domestic animals.
• Limiting coop/run size to 120 sq. ft. Not large enough.
• Coop location not allowed on corner lots. Not fair.

I sent them a two page response to the above issues. I'll let you know how it comes out next week.

 

[SkiboJeff]

Hi fellow chicken lovers. My city council is meeting next Tuesday to vote on a chicken ordinance. It has the support to pass. I just emailed them arguments on my final issues below:

• Four is not enough chickens. Should be at least six to maintain flock.
• License fee required. None required for other domestic animals.
• Requires taking a chicken education class. None required for other domestic animals.
• Limiting coop/run size to 120 sq. ft. Not large enough.
• Coop location not allowed on corner lots. Not fair.

I sent them a two page response to the above issues. I'll let you know how it comes out next week.

The city council voted 4/3 tonight to allow backyard chickens. Yahoo! My chicken math arguments prompted them to raise the number of allowed hens from four to six. Yes! (fist pump)! A one-time $100 license fee is required (it originally was to be a biennial renewal with additional fee). Lost the coop size argument (still limited to 120 s.f.) but won the allowed on corner lots issue.

I'll publish the entire ordinance when they're done writing it. Now I got to get serious about finishing the design of my coop and selecting my chicken breeds. I'm so excited!

 

[nuthatched]

I'd reduce the number to 5 and nix the possession of roosters, so maybe your petition would get a second look.

 

[Percheron chick]

Kind of amazing that an off grid community has to approach chicken keeping from a legislative angle. But I digress...
Is the scope of this ordinance only limited to chickens? What about other fowl? Thanksgiving turkey? Lump them all together and just say domestic fowl. What are the rules about dogs at large? Chickens do not respect property boundaries so have a plan for that question. Probably the #2 complaint after crowing roosters. What square footage prompts building permit and inspection? Limit the coop size to under that number. That will help keep flock numbers down naturally and reduce government involvement. Offer guidance for the area and climate but no set in stone requirements. Allowing a second grow out flock has some red flags. By 30 weeks, you essentially have 2 mature flocks and lots of cockerels mixed in, probably 100%in reality. Are you going to limit their housing to a temporary structure or allow a second coop? If your train of thought is to allow people to raise meat birds and process them, spell it out.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

This is my response to the council after their study session. See the attachment.

That's a pretty solid response. However, I'm confused about the idea of including chicks in the total # of chickens. Most people raise chicks in a brooder, which is usually entirely separate from the coop/run structure, if not inside their house. Perhaps language should be suggested that has a separate mimimum for chicks up to 16 weeks (processing age for heritage breeds) as long as their brooder is housed separately. Typically these aren't structures in and of themselves, but something akin to specialized furniture. If necessary, the coop/run limitations could be gotten around by including something about chicken tractors for birds that will be held on the property for less than 6 months (this also would give people a way to have a hospital coop without breaking any rules).

I think this is especially important for those who want to raise them for meat, as you would need more birds for meat, temporarily, than for egg laying.

Any concerns about early crowers could be addressed with animal nuisance laws already in place, more than likely.