SouthEast Michigan: Where can you raise chickens and where can you not

[leasmom]

I am currently living in Livonia where chickens are allowed but very few people have them. I have a small backyard and I have 5 chickens. I want to move where I can have more space and I've already had to rule out Westland because of its chicken ordinances...I'm thinking more like Romulus but I don't know if chickens are allowed. Can someone chime in where they live and where chickens are allowed in their Michigan community???

 

[The Chicken Lady]

I just wanted to give a quick

to all the new Michigan BYCers in this thread!

 

[gotchooks?]

The "Right To Farm Law" holds up in MI. It does supercede all ordinances.
It doesn't mean neighbors/city officials, etc. won't try to hassle you, it does mean you are well within your rights to have backyard chickens if you live in MI.

 

[leasmom]

Yes, they're called Freedom Gardens now spurred on by www.pathtofreedom.com They are raising goats and chickens in the city and living off their food. I feel like having both chickens and a garden that I am urban homesteading for freedom and even though I'm in an urban setting, I can always go outside and get eggs-(when they start producing)-or a tomato and I am in control of my own environment.

 

[Brokenegg]

You all are thinking that an ordanance is a law, It is not. The LAW you should be looking into is the right to farm LAW. In Michigan the right to farm LAW gives you the right to Raise anything useful to mankind as long as it is commercial in nature and you practice GAAMP's even if you live in a Trailer Park According to the supreme court.
If you raise chickens, intend to sell some of the eggs you get from them to family, freinds or strangers, Practice GAAMPS, Generally accepted agricultural Practices, Which if you have less than 2000 chickens you are exempt from, the GAAMPS are what you decide them to be, you are a farm and are protected by the right to farm Law. The right to farm is a Law and trumps an Ordanance. The law states that the city ordanance cannot be used to hinder what you and what you produce.

So, if you want to Raise some Chickens, Go out and put a sign on your mailbox that say's "Farm Fresh Eggs forsale $20 a Dozen" and then get your chickens. When the Zoning guy Shows up, Tell him that you raise birds for their eggs and that you keep some and sell the rest to family and freinds and that you practice GAAMP's. He might still give you a ticket but that don't mean he is right. Have you ever met a Zonning guy that wasn't an egotistical Jerk ??
The cities refuse to even admit that they know of the Law, but I assure you they Do. When you Get the ticket, take it and a copy of the Law and the ticket to your city manager, tell him that you are protected by the right to farm Law and he should inform the zoning guy back off and dismiss the ticket. He may ack like your nuts but don't back down. They know that if this law becomes known, they lose control. Their ordanance's only apply to animals as pets, not kept for a purpose. A farm in Michigan can be the size of a mountain or the size of a postage stamp.
The city of Belleville just took a lady all the way to the supreme court on this and the city was told to leave her alone, she was within her rights.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, Read the right to farm Law on the states website or if you check out Destiny Farms website in Brighton, Michigan, He has some links to websites all about your right to farm including the Belleville lawsuite, supreme court desicion.
IF YOU WANT CHICKENS, THERE IS A WAY, But be prepared to be beat up by the city a little, they will try to make you give it up but they know if you push, they will Lose! THEY HATE THIS LAW!!! I said LAW, NOT ORDANANCE>>>>
We went thru this, The city gave us 5 Tickets and sent many threatening Letters and then the day before court the tickets amazingly all dissapered. Now we keep hundreds of chickens.
This started because my wife, Just wanted to get a chicken and the city told us we could have 6 dogs or 20 cats but NO chickens! I said that can't be right and I began to read. Know your rights and Don't believe anything the city tells you. They are only 1 spoke in the wheel.
Also, if you want to build or have a chicken coop, in Michigan, Buildings used for any type of agricultural use, is the only thing that is NOT required to get a permit to build. Some how, That exemption can only be found on the states web site, The city's web sites, for some reason, don't tell you about it??

 

[DtroitChknLvr]

I was just talking about this with my co-workers - they all laugh at me. Turns out one of the attorneys I work for is on the City Council in Ann Arbor; He voted agains allowing chickens - "why do ppl need chickens when they can just go to the farmers market" ....typical. How closed-minded.

I'm happy to report that they did pass the ordinance allowing up to 4 hens in AA.

No in St. Clair Shores
Yes in Harrison Twp.
Yes in Grosse Ile
No in Grosse Pointe

As you can see, I've been house shopping and wanted to be sure that where I went I was able to have chickens....

Will post more as I find them...

And if anyone can help me....I'm looking for a house on some acreage in a good school dist. and within 30 miles of downtown Detroit - any ideas? Just looking for a general vicinity; town, city, village, etc. Any help is greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!

 

[thegospelisgood]

I don't know if anyone is still inquiring about the city ordinance on this matter, but I don't think the Animal Shelter has it right. According to the Romulus City Code

Section 11.15 Animal/Agricultural

(a) Farms
(1) Farms are permitted on at least five (5) acres of land outside a subdivision.
(2) Farms shall not be operated as piggeries or for the disposal of garbage, sewage,
rubbish or offal. Slaughtering of animals is not permitted unless the animals have
been raised or maintained on the premises for at least one (1) year and is for the
use and consumption by persons residing on the premises.
(3) Animal uses shall be subject to the pertinent provisions of Section 11.15 (d) and
(e).
(4) All structures must be set back at least thirty-five (35) feet from a public right-ofway.
(5) A temporary building for a roadside stand shall be permitted by the Building and
Safety Director in any residential district where farms are permitted for not more
than three (3) months. The temporary building shall not be more than one (1)
story high and a floor area less than four hundred (400) square feet.
(6) Adequate area shall be provided for off-street parking and vehicular circulation
City of Romulus Zoning Ordinance 11-29
Resolution # 11-322 effective 11-30-2011
11
Use Standards
that will not require vehicles to back into the public road right-of-way.
(b) Fowl and small animal pens (which shall include only ducks, chickens and rabbits)
that are kept by a family as pets and not raised for food or for any other form of
commercial venture shall be kept in a hutch and shall be exempt from the following
restrictions. Non-exempt fowl and small animal pens shall comply with the following
conditions.
(1) At least one and one half (1½) acres shall be required and there shall be no
more than ten (10) animals per acre.
(2) All buildings and structures except pens shall be set back a minimum of forty (40)
feet from the side and rear lot line.
(3) Pens shall be set back a minimum of twenty (20) feet from all lot lines. All
buildings, structures, and pens shall be set back at least one hundred (100) feet
from any dwelling on an adjacent lot.

Not to mention, the application of the meat and commercial venture prohibitions become nullified by the MRTFA.

One ordinance officer basically told me, just ask your neighbors. Your zone permits the chickens. Even more intriguing about the Romulus ordinances, there is no "limit" on the amount of chickens you can have.

I would not keep Roosters in the subdivision, but by these standards, you are allowed to!?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I'm sorry, but it blows my mind that some of you are having to beg permission from some board or council of biddies just to own chickens/bees/whatever. This is AMERICA, not the USSR! Who gave these minions the authority to tell you what you can and cannot have on your own property???

Well, do you want your neighbor to have a toxic waste dump on his property? Or piles and piles of old tires strewn about? Or a bunch of lions or chimpanzees? Or a dog rescue organization with 150 dogs on his .05 acre lot? Or...

Allowed (and disallowed) uses are to make sure that the right to not have nuisances forced upon one are protected. What constitutes a nuisance can vary from one person to another, and be interpreted differently at different points in time (history). Michigan has a pretty good RTFA law that provides protection for a lot of the activities you mention. (not quite sure what all "whatever" encompasses).

 

[wingless]

Do you only have to "say" your practicing GAAMP's or is there any documentation you have to have?

If you want a letter from the state acknowledging that you are compliant you need to contact the RTF program at MDARD. Details about what you can do to expedite the process are here: https://www.michigansmallfarmcouncil.org/gaamps.html

 

[fullhouse]

Grosse Ile. We can have them as long as we don't allow them to be "at large" or stink, etc. No limits on number.