Does your city allow ownership of chickens and other livestock? Local 5 looked into the ordinances/code of several central Iowa cities.
The Iowa Code defines “livestock” as an “animal belonging to the bovine, caprine, equine, ovine, or porcine species, ostriches, rheas, emus; farm deer … or poultry”.
Altoona
55.05 LIVESTOCK
It is unlawful for a person to keep livestock within the City, except physician prescribed therapy animals with specific approval of the City Council.
Ankeny
55.05 LIVESTOCK
It is unlawful for a person to keep livestock within the City.
Clive
5-7-5: KEEPING LIVESTOCK
It is unlawful for a person to keep livestock within the city except by written consent of the council or except in compliance with the city’s zoning regulations. (2000 Code § 55.05)
5-7-12: NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND FOWL LIMITED
A. Dogs, Cats And Livestock: Not more than four (4) dogs or cats or combinations thereof over the age of six (6) months shall be kept by any person on any premises in the city except in bona fide kennels or pet shops. Not more than two (2) of any one or combination of horses, cattle, or other bovine animals, sheep, goats or swine shall be kept by any person on any parcel of less than five (5) acres in area. (2000 Code § 55.12)
B. Fowl: Not more than twelve (12) of any one or any combination of poultry, pigeons or other fowl shall be kept by any person or persons on any parcel of land less than one and one-half (11/2) acres in area. (2000 Code § 55.13)
5-7-14: GRAZING AND FEEDING
On any parcel of land less than five (5) acres in area, no grazing or feeding shall be permitted, nor any structure or enclosure for housing, feeding or caring for horses, cattle or other bovine animals, sheep, goats, swine, poultry or other fowl, except pigeons, shall be located, within one hundred fifty feet (150′) from any human habitation or within fifty feet (50′) of the property line of the parcel of land upon which such animals are kept. (2000 Code § 55.15)
Sec. 18-4. Agricultural nondomestic animals and exotic animals. (a) No horse, cow, calf, swine, sheep, goat, llama, camel, ostrich, peacock, chicken, goose, duck or other agricultural animal or any nondomestic animal shall be kept within the city’s corporate limits on any lot or parcel of land unless such parcel of land shall be an acreage, except as provided under subsections (f), (g) and (h) of this section and article IV of this chapter. The area where any such animal is kept on the acreage shall be 75 feet from any neighboring residential dwelling and not located in a front yard area. The keeping of bees in hives is exempted from this section.
Urbandale
160.39 URBAN LIVESTOCK.
(A) Livestock may be raised and kept without limit or restriction on farms as defined in this Code, regardless of zoning district. In all other cases urban livestock shall be prohibited in all residential zoning districts, including be not limited to R-1L, R-1I, R1S, R-2, R-3 and R-4 Districts, and those portions of Planned Unit Developments that have correlating minimum lot widths and areas, and any other residential subdivision. However, private stables and paddocks exclusively for horses may be allowed on any residential property that meets the requirements below.
(B) Private stables and paddocks shall be located on the rear half of the lot and not closer than 20 feet to any property line, nor closer than 40 feet from any dwelling on the same or adjoining property. The minimum lot area upon which a horse may be kept is one acre and two horses may be kept on an acre. One additional horse may be kept for each 20,000 square feet by which the parcel of land exceeds one acre.
West Des Moines
5-7-5: KEEPING LIVESTOCK
It is unlawful for a person to keep livestock within the city except by written consent of the council or except in compliance with the city’s zoning regulations. (2000 Code § 55.05)
5-7-12: NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND FOWL LIMITED
B. Fowl: Not more than twelve (12) of any one or any combination of poultry, pigeons or other fowl shall be kept by any person or persons on any parcel of land less than one and one-half (11/2) acres in area. (2000 Code § 55.13)
5-7-14: GRAZING AND FEEDING
On any parcel of land less than five (5) acres in area, no grazing or feeding shall be permitted, nor any structure or enclosure for housing, feeding or caring for horses, cattle or other bovine animals, sheep, goats, swine, poultry or other fowl, except pigeons, shall be located, within one hundred fifty feet (150′) from any human habitation or within fifty feet (50′) of the property line of the parcel of land upon which such animals are kept. (2000 Code § 55.15)
Windsor Heights
55.11 LIVESTOCK
It is unlawful for a person to keep livestock within the City except by
written consent of the Council or except in compliance with the City’s zoning regulations.
12. “Livestock” means an animal belonging to the bovine, caprine, equine, ovine
or porcine species, ostriches, rheas and emus; farm deer as defined in Section 170.1 of
the Code of Iowa; or poultry.
55.02 PETS; TYPES AND NUMBERS OF ANIMALS PERMITTED. The following animals may be owned as pets under the following conditions:
…Domestic poultry and fowl; that is, poultry and fowl ordinarily raised for production of eggs or meat, not to exceed two in number considered together at or in a residential dwelling and maintained at all times in a pen and/or coup. (55.01, 55.02)
