A. It shall be unlawful to keep or maintain any fowl, rabbits or livestock, which includes, but is not limited to, horses, cows, sheep, goats, or other domesticated animals, within the city limits, except as provided in this chapter.
1. Fowl: For the purposes of this subsection, “fowl” shall mean domesticated birds (galliformes and anseriformes), and shall include chickens, ducks, and geese but shall not include peafowl, guinea fowl, ostriches, or emus.
B. Required Area For Fowl: To maintain and keep fowl, there must be at least five thousand (5,000) square feet of open space of real property for each six (6) fowl which are more than twelve (12) weeks from hatch and one (1) additional fowl more than twelve (12) weeks from hatch for each additional twelve hundred fifty (1,250) square feet of open space of real property and/or up to twenty-five (25) fowl not more than twelve (12) weeks from hatch, and in no event shall any person keep or maintain more than twelve (12) fowl more than twelve (12) weeks from hatch, and in no event shall the coop and/or run be less than sixty feet (60') from a dwelling other than that of the owner or person keeping or maintaining the fowl.
1. It shall be unlawful for a person to keep or maintain male fowl within the City limits except for a time period not to exceed twelve (12) weeks from hatch, as demonstrated by the person keeping or maintaining such male fowl.
C. Required Area For Rabbits: To maintain and keep rabbits, there must be at least five thousand (5,000) square feet of open space of real property for each twenty-five (25) rabbits, and in no event shall any person keep or maintain more than fifty (50) rabbits, and in no event shall the rabbit hutch or rabbit run be less than sixty feet (60') from a dwelling other than that of the owner.
D. Required Area For Livestock: To maintain or keep one cow, one horse, one goat, one sheep, one llama or one of any other domesticated animal, the custodian must have at least one acre (43,560 square feet) of pasture of real property available for one animal and one-half (1/2) acre (21,780 square feet) for each additional animal. The space occupied by any building and any area excluded from access by the animals, except buildings to be occupied by the animals, for which the calculation is being made, shall be excluded. The required area for any animal or the animals shall be considered only one time. For example, the one acre considered for one horse may not be considered as the required area for one cow or one of any other domesticated animal.
E. Property Configuration: The property which may be considered in making up the square footage must be adjoining or adjacent, which shall be deemed to mean not separated by a distance greater than the width of a street. It shall not be necessary that the animals have continual access to all of the property, but all property being considered in making up the square footage shall be devoted primarily to the use of the animals.
F. Property Ownership: The property making up the required area must be owned or leased by the animal custodian or the custodian must have written authorization from the property owner to use the property for the purpose of grazing or maintaining animals.
G. Fences: Fences enclosing such animals must be so constructed as to prevent the animals from going upon the property of adjoining property owners in any manner whatsoever and must comply with fencing specifications of this code.
H. Enclosures And Structures: Animal pens, corrals, or any other premises or structure used for the keeping of or maintaining any animal or fowl, shall be kept in a clean, sanitary, and humane condition. Said enclosure or structure shall be kept in such a manner as to keep said animals or fowl confined at all times.
I. Nuisance Control: All animals must be controlled and maintained by their custodian so that they do not threaten the safety and/or disturb the comfort and repose of any reasonable person. (Ord. 2000-08, 10-9-2000; amd. Ord. 2021-001, 1-27-2021)