Ordinances and Permits To House Chickens

Laying down the law on chicken egg laying Raising birds in your own chicken coop is fun, healthful, and economical, unless the county sheriff slaps a bunch of fines on you for breaking the law. The fanciest chicken coops don't protect your backyard chickens if you are in jail, so get the scoop on having a backyard chicken coop. Chicken Law 101 With a growing interest in healthy eating and an economy that encourages frugality, it's no surprise that more and more people are raising their own chickens. With more city chickens comes more city laws, as local governments try to keep pace with healthy habits and fussy neighbors. Most communities don't have any ordinances at all. Yet. Mind your manners and you won't have any problems. Usually the first law that pops up involves housing roosters, which are more aggressive and noisier than chickens. (They don't call it "cock-a-doodle-do" for nothing.) But most of all, roosters make more chickens, and your egg hobby turns into a breeding facility, which is more strictly regulated.

Roosters don't lay eggs and are only needed if you intend to expand your flock. Hens lay eggs just fine without roosters, so you don't need roosters unless you want to meet chicks. Legally speaking, the easiest path is to keep roosters out of your chicken coop hen house.

Most other regulations involve how many birds you can keep, and where. The laws are usually fair and intuitive, designed to protect the welfare of the birds and your neighbors, which is something you'd do anyway.

Who knows?

According to county permits expert Mark Ekberg, most laws are based on property zoning: where you live, what your water and sewer capabilities are, and how close you are to your neighbors. Check with both your city and county zoning departments, as each has its own rules. Most publish their zoning laws online, so you can enter your city name in a search and follow the links to the zoning or health departments. Or just pick up the phone and ask for your zoning inspector.

Your local humane society is another great source for animal regulations, and you can learn a lot from those with experience - other people raising chickens in your area. For a list of what some sample cities allow within their limits, click here.

If you find that a permit is required, pay it. You'll relax, and a permit fee is always much cheaper than a violation fine.