A new Urban Chicken Ordinance under consideration by the City Council would allow up to eight laying hens on a single-family lot.
Up to 20 laying hens per acre woul be allowed within the A-1 Agricultural Zone. In the case of multi-family residential zones, without individually owned rear yards, the maximum
number of laying hens allowed for all residential units would be 10 per complex to be maintained on common property;
Roosters would be banned, and could only be in areas zoned for agriculture due to their tendency for early morning crowing.
The ordinance, which is spearheaded by Councilman Chip Henderson, does not allow selling of eggs.
Incubation of chicks would also be off limits.
Residents couldn't use their laying hens for chicken fighting.
The ordinance says, "The purpose of this provision is to provide standards for the keeping of urban chickens. It is intended to enable city residents to keep a small number of female chickens (hereinafter “laying hens”) on a noncommercial basis while limiting the potential adverse impacts on the surrounding neighborhood.
"The city recognizes that adverse neighborhood impacts may result from the keeping of urban chickens as a result of noise, odor, unsanitary animal living conditions, unsanitary waste storage and removal, the attraction of predators, rodents, insects, parasites, and non-confined animals leaving the owner’s property.
"This section is intended to create standards and requirements on a trial basis to determine that urban chickens do not adversely impact the neighborhood surrounding the property on which urban chickens are kept."
The topic is set to be discussed by the council next Tuesday.
The full ordinance can be found here.