(a) No person shall keep any pig, horse, mule, cow, goat, sheep or any member of the Equidae family, the Bovidae family, or any fowl or poultry (with the exception of chickens as noted in subsection (b) below), in any pen, yard, lot or other enclosure situated with the Village.
(1) Exempted are fully licensed kennels, veterinarians who operate boarding kennels, 4-H and FFA small animal projects for a period of thirty (30) days past termination of the project, or any of the established farms that are still operating within the Village.
(b) No person shall own, keep or harbor any chickens without meeting the requirements set forth in the following subsection:
(1) A one-time permit at the cost of fifty dollars ($50.00) is required and issued by the Village of West Jefferson prior to acquiring chickens, and an inspection shall occur by the Village of Department of Development within thirty (30) days after issuance of the permit and no longer than forty-five (45) days after acquiring chickens.
(2) A permit shall be issued for single family residences only.
(3) There shall be a maximum of four (4) chickens.
(4) Chickens shall be confined to the owner’s yard.
(5) Roosters are prohibited.
(6) Chickens shall not be housed in residences, porches, or attached garages. Chickens must be kept in a secure enclosure shielded from the street to which it fronts and must be shielded from entry by predatory animals. Enclosures or coops shall have a minimum of two (2) square feet per chicken. Such enclosures shall be located at least eight (8) feet from the property line and at least twenty-five (25) feet from the neighboring residents dwelling. The height shall not exceed six (6) feet.
(7) The sale of eggs is prohibited.
(8) Dead chickens and waste material shall be bagged and disposed of via local trash services. There shall be no piling of waste material at the residence.
(9) Food shall be stored in an enclosed container to prevent the attraction of other animals. Owners shall control rodents via trapping on a regular basis.
(10) Chicken coop and run area shall be cleaned regularly to prevent offensive odors, rodents, flies, disease, etc.
(11) No person shall fail to comply with all other sections involving the care and responsibility of keeping animals.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor for a first offense; whoever violates this section for a second or subsequent offense is guilty of a misdemeanor in the fourth degree. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which a violation or noncompliance occurs or continues. In addition, for second or subsequent violations, the Court may order the offender to forfeit the animals.
(Ord. 22-018. Passed 2-21-22.)