The keeping of chickens is allowed in all zoning districts, subject to administrative approval and subject to the following provisions.
(A) No more than six chickens shall be housed or kept on any one property and only allowed on properties with single-family dwellings.
(B) Roosters are prohibited, and the keeping of any poultry besides chickens is prohibited.
(C) Chickens shall not be housed in a residential dwelling unit or an attached or detached garage, except for brooding purposes.
(D) A coop is required to house the chickens. The coop must be constructed and maintained to meet the following minimum standards:
(1) The coop shall be located in the side or rear yard.
(2) The coop shall meet the setback requirements for utility/storage structures for the respective zoning district.
(3) The coop shall provide a minimum of 12 square feet of interior floor space.
(4) Construction shall be adequate to protect chickens from extreme temperatures and prevent access by rodents.
(5) The coop must be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, devoid of all rodents and vermin, and free from objectionable odors. Manure shall not be allowed to accumulate in a way that causes an unsanitary condition or causes odor detectible on another property.
(6) The coop shall be fully-enclosed.
(E) A run or exercise yard is required.
(1) Runs must be constructed and maintained to meet the following minimum standards:
(a) The run shall be located in the side or rear yard and attached to the coop.
(b) The run shall meet the setback requirements for utility/storage structures for the respective zoning district.
(c) The size of the run shall be at least 16 square feet if access to a fenced exercise yard is available. The size of the run shall be at 32 square feet if access to an exercise yard is not available. If the coop is elevated two feet so the birds can access the space beneath, that area may be counted as a portion of the minimum run footprint.
(d) The run shall be fully-enclosed.
(2) Exercise yards must be fully enclosed by a fence.
(F) Grains and feed must be stored in rodent and raccoon-proof containers inside of a structure.
(G) Chicken fighting is prohibited.
(H) Outdoor butchering of chickens is prohibited.
(I) Dead chickens must be disposed of according to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health rules which require chicken carcasses to be disposed of as soon as possible after death, usually within 48 hours to 72 hours. Legal forms of chicken carcass disposal include offsite burial, offsite incineration or rendering, or offsite composting.
(J) The city’s officer may inspect the premises to ensure compliance with city ordinances.
(K) Any person no longer keeping chickens must notify the city and remove the coop and run within 30 days of the chickens being removed from the property.
(Ord. 05-2022, passed 8-16-2022)