AMY BENTING
ASSISTANT CITY ADMINISTRATOR/CITY CLERK
DAYTON (8,226)

What prompted the adoption of a chicken ordinance?

The City of Dayton has always allowed chickens, but as it developed some smaller lots, the ordinance was changed to be easier to understand. The change aims to clarify the number of chickens that are allowed on a given lot size, so residents don’t need to dig deeper, ask around, or call the city to know how many they’re allowed to keep.

What requirements are there for residents that want to have chickens?

Residents need to know their lot size to find out how many chickens are allowed. We do not allow roosters.

Has it been an issue for city staff since the change?

Since the ordinance was updated to be easier to understand, we have not had many calls. The most time-consuming workload has come from questions about keeping goats, not chickens! We now allow temporary keeping of goats. If your city is considering allowing residents to keep goats, check out our ordinance.

What feedback have you received from residents?

I have only received positive feedback about being able to have chickens, and I have seen some angry posts in surrounding communities that do not allow chickens.

What other information can you share with our readers?

I personally own chickens and love having them. However, for the small number of chickens that I have, it costs me on average over $14 per dozen eggs to keep the chickens.

Additionally, there is a lot more to owning chickens then just purchasing them. Anyone interested in owning them should do a little research before getting all the necessary supplies. Some things to consider are the breed of chicken (some breeds are easier to keep in our winter months), as well as the style of coop, and whether you plan to have an enclosed one.

Most chickens take 18-22 weeks to even start laying eggs, and some breeds decline after a year or two of laying eggs. During the winter months, egg production can drop significantly. Living in Minnesota comes with winter and freezing temps, so it creates more challenges for keeping chickens.

JENNIFER SCHREIBER
CITY CLERK
MONTICELLO (14,564)

What prompted the adoption of a chicken ordinance?

Interest from residents inspired the City of Monticello to implement an ordinance. More and more people were attracted to the possibility of locally produced eggs, a healthy fertilizer option, and the unique fun of having hens at home. With our animal control officer frequently receiving calls from community members seeking to raise chickens on their property, staff began looking into the possibility.

The positive aspects of raising chickens were encouraging, so we were interested in allowing Monticello residents to participate; however, we wanted to create a structure to limit the potential challenges related to having these birds in suburban neighborhoods. The greatest concerns were related to potential conflicts with neighbors due to noise, space, smell, and free running chickens. With those concerns in mind, the ordinance was drafted relying on best practices from example communities and staff’s efforts to proactively limit the most likely complaints.

What requirements are there for residents who want to have chickens?

We require an application from the property owners with a detailed drawing of the building or cage where the fowl will be kept. We also ask for the type, breed, and number of fowl that will be kept on the property. To receive the permit, the resident must gather signatures from adjoining property owners, the site must comply with the zoning ordinance and fowl ordinance, and the property must be inspected by the animal control officer. Once the chickens are present, they may not run at large, and the residents must maintain proper manure control/disposal.

The City Council first adopted the ordinance in 2012. Following the original implementation, the Council amended it in 2015 to provide additional clarification. The changes limit households to six hens on their property and prohibited roosters. The permit fee in Monticello is $50; after the first year, residents pay $25 per year to renew their permit.

Has it been an issue for city staff since the change?

Monticello has issued 15 fowl permits total and hasn’t received any complaints. In our experience, residents take very good care of their chickens, which results in few concerns about the ordinance from city staff or the public.