The keeping of hens, the female of the chicken species Gallus gallus domesticus, shall be permitted in single-family residential zoning areas (R-1, R-2 and E-1), on zoning lots of nine thousand seven hundred fifty (9,750) square feet or greater, provided the following conditions are met:
A. No more than four (4) hens shall be allowed for each single- family dwelling, except if the lot is one acre or more, then eight (8) hens shall be allowed.
B. No hens shall be allowed in multi-family complexes, including duplexes.
C. No roosters shall be allowed in any residential zone.
D. Hens shall be kept in an enclosed outdoor coop, an accessory structure used for the purpose of keeping live chickens, so as to offer protection from weather elements and from predators and trespassers.
Coops shall be built and kept in such a manner, large enough to provide at least three (3) square feet per hen and allow the hens easy ingress and egress to an enclosed chicken yard. Coops shall not exceed six feet (6') in height, and the floor of the coop shall be a minimum of two feet (2') above the ground.
Coops shall be freestanding and covered with uniform materials and shall be maintained intact with all parts secure. Any repairs shall maintain consistency with original structure in appearance and condition. The coop must be replaced, removed, or repaired upon evidence of deterioration.
Coops shall be connected with an enclosed chicken yard or run. The chicken yard may be constructed of wire mesh material only if the chicken coop and yard are surrounded by a forty eight inch (48") high perimeter privacy fence. If no such perimeter fence exists, then the chicken yard must be surrounded by a forty eight inch (48") high privacy fence. Hens may be allowed to roam in a fenced back yard as long as the fence is a privacy fence of at least forty eight inches (48") in height, but shall not be allowed to roam outside of the fenced yard. Hens must be returned to the secured chicken coop each night.
Chicken yards constructed with wire mesh fencing materials shall retain a flat, uniform plane, in a well maintained, safe condition.
Coops and chicken yards must be kept in a safe and sanitary condition at all times and must be cleaned on a regular basis so as to prevent offensive odors being reasonably detectable on adjacent properties.
E. Coops and wire mesh chicken yards shall be located at least twenty five feet (25') from any lot line, and must otherwise comply with setbacks for accessory structures. In addition, chicken coops shall not be located between the principal building and any improved alley, easement for purposes of ingress or egress, or road right of way. In the case of an unimproved right of way, this provision may be modified by the building commissioner.
F. No outdoor slaughter of hens is allowed.
G. Food for hens must be stored in a rodentproof container.
H. This section is not intended to apply to geese or ducks, nor to indoor birds kept as pets, such as, but not limited to, parrots or parakeets, nor to the lawful transportation of fowl through the corporate limits of the village. Neither shall it apply to poultry kept in zoning district A-1.
I. A permit fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be required for issuance of a permit for a coop.
J. No exterior lighting shall be allowed to focus upon a coop.
K. For any violation of this section, the violator shall be subject to a fine of at least fifty dollars ($50.00) and no more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00). For second and later offenses, the permit for the coop may be revoked in the discretion of the building commissioner, in which event the coop shall be removed from the premises. (Ord. 2013-36, 12-10-2013)