Poultry ordinance in Goshen Indiana

[JohnDN]

Quite a few of us Goshen citizens would love to have a few backyard chickens. One friend just recounted the story to me this morning of how he was forced by the city to get rid of his hens a couple years ago. As best I can tell, the ban is based on the ordinance below which I found on the city's website. Could anyone out there help me interpret the ordinance? It seems to me that it is banning animals other than domestic and a chicken is a domestic animal, right?

It shall be unlawful for any person to have, keep, or otherwise maintain within the corporate limits of the City of Goshen, any livestock, fowl or wild animal excepting domestic animals, unless such livestock, fowl or wild animal is confined not less than one hundred fifty (150) feet from the residence of any other person; provided, however, that no such livestock, fowl or wild animal shall be so kept or maintained if noxious and/or offensive odors are caused to enter upon and cross the real estate owned and/or occupied by another; provided further that any animal of any type may be kept in a zoological garden which must be set up in a prescribed area zoned for such purposes.

Thanks,
John

 

[natrgatr]

It is saying you can't have chickens unless you can keep them 150' from any of your neighbor's residence. You also have to keep them clean and keep the smell under control.

 

[teach1rusl]

Yes, that's what I'm reading as well. So if your yard was big enough, or deep enough, you could have them.

 

[JohnDN]

Thanks that's what I thought and the way the city is interpreting it. I just wasn't sure what they mean by the "domestic animal" exclusion. I assume dogs and cats but I would think an argument could be made that chickens are domestic animals. They certainly aren't wild.

 

[Desert Rooster]

Well if you look up chicken, it DOSE say DOMESTIC FOWL, so i dont see why they cant be considerd domestis animals

 

[Moabite]

Our town it is 50ft. Seems more seasonable to me, but we have to have a permit, and roosters aren't allowed. (sexual discrimination). I bet if you get enough people together, and have your facts ready, you could get that law changed. Chickens are far easier to care for than your average dog. Eight hundred thousand people a year report dog bites. How many people have been seriously hurt by hens?

 

[randyr]

I also live in Goshen, IN. I also would like the city to consider changing the ordinance to allow for HENS (not roosters) to be allowed in city backyards. There are more benefits than drawbacks for such a change. I know the existing ordinance (obviously drafted when times were better) states 150'. My yard would be OK if it were changed to 100', but in my opinion, hens used for laying should be an exception to the livestock portion of the ordinance.