(a) Keeping of livestock prohibited. It shall be unlawful to keep or maintain any cow, mule, sheep, goat, hog, other livestock, or fowl other than hens as defined in section 4-1, on any lot or within any pen, stable, or other enclosure or building within the corporate limits. This section shall not be deemed to prohibit the assembling of livestock for shipment or the unloading from shipment of livestock, provided that such livestock are not kept within the corporate limits for more than 24 hours prior to shipment or subsequent to unloading.
(b) Horses and ponies. Horses and ponies may be kept within town limits for pleasure or recreational purposes only, provided that no horse or pony is kept, housed, penned, or maintained in a shed, stall, stable or other place within 200 feet of a residence, including the owner's or boarder's residence, church, store or other place of business. All pens, sheds, stalls or stables, or structures in which the same may be kept, housed or penned, shall at all times be required to be kept clean, disinfected and sanitary, and the same shall not emit at any time any noxious or offensive odor or smell which can be detected by and is offensive to the occupant of any house in the town. Safeguards must be utilized and maintained to minimize the breeding and dissemination of rodents and flies by the use of appropriate pesticides and feed-storage facilities. The pasturing of any horse or pony will be limited to one animal for every two acres of pasture.
(c) Hens. Up to four (4) hens may be kept within town limits, on residentially zoned properties, for non- commercial purposes only, provided that no hen is kept, housed, penned or maintained within 100 feet of a residence other than the owner’s or tenant’s, a church, store or other place of business. Additionally, hens shall be kept separated from any property line by a minimum of 50 feet and a minimum of 75 feet from any body of water or roadway. All areas where hens are kept shall at all times be required to be kept clean, disinfected and sanitary, and the same shall not emit at any time any noxious or offensive order which can be detected by and is offensive to the occupant of any dwelling in the town. Safeguards must be utilized and maintained to minimize the breeding and dissemination of rodents and flies by the use of appropriate pesticides and feed-storage facilities. Hens must be kept within a completely enclosed chicken coop and/or run, the total area of which shall not exceed 160 square feet in size. The free ranging of hens is prohibited. Any individual keeping hens within the town must obtain an annual registration permit to be in compliance with this section of the Code of Ordinances.
(d) Effect upon existing livestock. Persons keeping or maintaining within the corporate limits any of the animals named in subsection (a) of this section, shall remove them from the corporate limits in order to comply with subsection (a) of this section not later than six months from the effective date of the ordinance from which this subsection is derived.
(e) Violations. In any event, if any horse, pony or hen being kept pursuant to this section becomes noncompliant with these provisions, upon written notice given by the town to either the owner of the horse, pony or hen or the possessor of said horse, pony or hen, that owner or possessor shall have seven days to correct the deficiencies noted in the written notice, and failure to correct the deficiencies noted in the written notice shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
(Code 1989, § 81.03; Ord. of 2-23-1993, Ord. of 12-12-2023)