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Question: Can Cottage Grove residents keep Chickens or Ducks on residential property?

The short answer might surprise you. It is yes. The long answer, however, explains that the chance of you qualifying to fit the criteria is slim to none under the current ordinance.

(Ord. 993, 3-21-2018) 5-4-13: KEEPING OF FOWL OR POULTRY: Any person keeping fowl or poultry in any zoning district on land with three (3) to less than five (5) acres of land within the City of Cottage Grove shall comply with the following: A. License Required: Any person who keeps fowl or poultry in the City of Cottage Grove must obtain an annual license prior to acquiring the fowl or poultry. The annual license is valid on the date the fowl or poultry arrive on the site and ending on December 31. Subsequent licenses are valid from January 1 to December 31. Applications for licenses must be made to the City Clerk.

(for the full ordinance, visit https://codelibrary.amlegal. com/codes/cottagegrovemn/latest/cottagegrove_mn/0-0-03023#JD_5-4-13 ) Some key points of the ordinance. The lot must be at least three acres in size. The coop must be in the back yard and must be at least 100 feet from all dwellings on adjacent properties and a minimum of 50 feet from any property line.

Prior to 2013, Cottage Grove had an ordinance that stated Chickens, Ducks and similar farm birds are allowed on urban properties of five or more acres. On May of 2013, the city council voted 5-0 to change that to three acres.

The problem is three acres is a lot of property to own in city limits. Three acres is 2.25 football fields in size. To put that size in to perspective, the property, including the parking lot and part of the roadway that US Bank occupies at the corner of 80th and Hardwood is three acres.

Scanning through the Washington County GIS map you quickly realize that nearly every residential lot in the city is no where near three acres in size, in fact, most average around half an acre or less. A house on a 85 foot wide by 145 foot deep lot is on less than one third of an acre. How can the current ordinance be followed by 90+ percent of Cottage Grove Residents? The newer development off 70th and Joliet is a perfect example of each home having under 0.3 of an acre.

Let us ask the question again. Question: Can Cottage Grove residents keep Chickens or Ducks on residential property? Yes, if you have a lot that is three acres in size, 90%+ do not, and can keep the coop at least 100 feet from neighboring buildings, most lots are 70-90 feet wide with 60-80 feet of building on them. That means the answer really is no due to the over restrictive rules in the ordinance.

Chickens as pets? But why? Backyard chickens are beneficial to the community that they live in because they: Offer fresh, locally sourced eggs (that are healthier compared to store-bought eggs).

Can help to provide nutritious food security for lower income families.

Provide gardeners with high-quality fertilizer.

Help control insects and other pests.

Control weeds without the use of chemicals and insecticides.

Disposal of kitchen scraps that would otherwise go into a landfill.

Chickens provide value as a pet for adults and children.

As you can see above, there are quite a few benefits to having backyard chickens, plus, they are a pretty cool pet. Mendota Heights went through this in 2017. Spearheaded by two residents looking to keep chickens of their own, they helped change the ordinances four years ago and as one of the organizers put it, “here we are four years later, and the sky hasn’t fallen.”

Visiting his home in Mendota Heights, it is not noticeable from the street that he raises chickens. When you get on the deck of his home you might notice, but that’s only because you see a chicken or two chilling in the sun or begging for popcorn. Other than that, you can’t tell the chickens are there. There is no smell, no rooster screaming, just a couple birds rustling their feathers or cooing.

What are the common misconceptions about having chickens as backyard pets?

They’re noisy.Chickens will peep and cluck softly during the daylight but are silent at night. A small number of chickens are not noisy, hens in particular. A dogs bark is 90 decibels, and our city allows three dogs which has a cumulative maximum possible noise level of 100 decibels. A hen’s laying song is 60 decibels so it would take 12 hens producing noise at the same time to produce more noise than one dog. Plus, The hens typically lay their eggs inside the coop, blocking even more of the sound.

They smell. It would be the owner’s responsibility to keep the coop clean, but on average a small flock of chickens will poop about as much as an average dog in a day. According to the Extension from University of Nevada, composted chicken manure “provides a slow-release source of macro- and micronutrients and acts as a soil amendment. Compared to other manures, chicken manure and the associated litter are higher in nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and calcium, and are also rich in organic matter.”

They attract predators.While not truly a misconception, it can be easily remedied by the chicken owner. Chickens are not only food for humans, but they can also be food for a number of predators as well. It is the responsibility of the chicken owner to keep his/her flock contained and safe from predators, just as the same responsibility falls on cat and dog owners.

They attract pests.If chicken food was not properly kept, it can attract unwanted animals (mice). However, a homeowner can make the same mistake by doing a bad job of composting, providing birdseed, putting out cat or dog food. Chickens also help by eating insects, many known to cause disease (ticks and mosquitoes).

You need a rooster for hens to lay eggs.

This is untrue, and the only reason you would need a rooster would be for reproduction. Hens will still lay eggs without a rooster present, and different species lay different amounts of eggs a year.

They can make you sick.This is partially true. Salmonella is a real concern with raising chickens. It is a bacterium that can live in their feathers, droppings and even in and on the eggs. That can be easily mitigated with good husbandry and proper cleaning. Would you go out in your yard, pick up dog poo and not make sure your shoes were clean before coming in the house? Would you not immediately wash your hands after picking up dog poo? Same thing applies here. When done cleaning up after, gathering eggs, or handling a chicken, wash your hands and practice good hygiene.

Spending time with some chickens in Mendota Heights was surprisingly relaxing. Watching them go about their business eating bugs and basking in the sun just gave a sense of calm. Then, all of a sudden, there was a realization. There was no buzz of mosquitos in the air. Not once had a mosquito left its mark. Perhaps area parks should invest in some chickens to help with the bugs?

The neighbors of the friend in Mendota Heights enjoy the chickens too. They get free eggs when the chickens lay too many, and they get a more bug free yard. Some even sit on their deck and enjoy watching them do their thing. It’s been a win win for the neighborhood.

If you do not want to keep your own but still want to help, please take a look at the Facebook page behind the fight to bring chickens to Cottage Grove. https://www.facebook. com/groups/138294265012462 There you will find a details about the benefits of backyard chickens, including a copy of the text of the chicken ordinance from many other municipalities that they are looking to emulate, information for potential owners and information from other communities in the area that already allow backyard chickens. Looking to directly join the cause? This short URL leads to the petition directly. http://chng.it/BdYVVjTsLs .

Don’t be a chicken, sign the petition, let people have backyard chickens!