City Considers Ban on Backyard Chickens, Unorthodox Pets

From the looks of it, Apple Valley will not be getting on the barnyard bandwagon any time soon.

A number of neighboring cities that have amended their ordinances to allow small-scale agricultural development within their corporate limits, notably the cultivation of chickens and in some cases, goats. Not so in Apple Valley, which is going to tighten its ordinance to keep the birds and other urban-ag animals out.

The issue came to the city's attention after a number of residents expressed interest in raising chickens, goats and other animals in Apple Valley.

As it stands, chickens, goats and other animals are not addressed in the current ordinance, said Associate City Planner Margaret Dykes. The city attorney did an analysis and concluded that the ordinance regulates "house pets" but offers no definition of the term, which leaves it open to interpretation. A chicken or a potbelly pig, for instance, could be construed as a house pet. 

After much study, including a survey of such organizations as the Goat Justic League and Chicken Run Rescue, the Urban Affairs Advisory Committee decided that chickens and their ilk might not be a good idea.

"We're afraid of the effect on the neighbors. With chickens they need coops to be protected from the weather and ground with gravel for dust baths, and we're worried about the appearance of the environment the chickens would have," said Urban Affairs Chair Sharon Schwartz. 

Schwartz said the committee was concerned with the noise, dust, diseases and odors that would emanate from the animals.

They also considered the chickens' welfare. 

"We in were worried in particular about the humane treatment of these animals. This is a fad and people are going to buy them, but then they get tired of it," Schwartz said. "Having these animals requires fastidious cleanliness or rodents, flies, and snake might be attracted to them."

Then there was the awkward question: If chickens were allowed in city limits, would Apple Valley also sanction their slaughter? 

"Some cities do and some don't allow that," Schwartz said. 

With all this in mind, the advisory commission has recommended three changes to Apple Valley's animal ordinance:

• The amendment would clarify the definition for the term "household pet," which would include dogs, cats, ferrets, birds excluding farm poultry, rabbits, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fish and any certified ADA service animal.

• The amended ordinance would put a more definitive cap on the number of pets allowed in Apple Valley homes. Right now, the ordinance states that no more than three dogs and three cats may be at any one residence.

• The ordinance would be amended to address ferrets (up to three allowed), and clarify that there may be no more than six pets of any kind allowed in one home. 
The ordinance would prohibit wild animals, farm animals and poultry, specifically: goats, cattle, sheep, pigs (including potbellied pigs), bees, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and pigeons.

The proposed changes to the ordinance found much support on the council, which reviewed the matter at an informal meeting last Tuesday.

"I think you're going in right direction," said Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland, though she expressed qualms regarding current chicken owners in Apple Valley.

"This is a very small portion of the population that is interested in this," said Council Member Clint Hooppaw. "I used to scrape poultry barns in high school and that is not a smell I want to live next to. We get a lot of coyote complaints as it is."

According to a report cited by Dykes, two-thirds of cities in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region forbid chickens in city limits. The number of pro-poultry cities is growing however, and includes both Burnsville and Eagan.