Blue Springs approves backyard chickens with these new rules
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (KCTV) - Leaders approved a new ordinance that will allow people to raise hens and ducks inside the Blue Springs city limits.
City council debated the issue over the past two years before approving the new rules during the May 19 meeting.
Property owners who want to own hens will be required to get a one-time permit before moving any hens or ducks onto their property.
The ordinance mandates hens will only be allowed at single-family homes, meaning people who live in duplexes or apartments will not be able to raise hens and ducks at their homes.
It also sets the following minimum standards property owners need to follow in order to own hens and ducks.
- Up to 6 hens/ducks allowed per property
- Only for non-commercial use and owners cannot breed
- Hens/ducks must be kept in the backyard
- 10 feet from the property line
- 40 feet from any adjacent buildings
All hens and ducks must be kept in an enclosure or fenced area at all times, unless they are supervised.
When it comes to enclosures, pens, and coops, city leaders agreed on some very specific requirements. The structures must be enclosed on all sides and have a roof and doors. They are also required to have adequate ventilation, sun and shade, and keep rodents out of the structure.
The ordinance regulates materials that property owners and renters will be allowed to use to build coops and structures to house the birds.
Each coop also needs to be a certain size, depending on how many hens or ducks live in it.
- Minimum size is two square feet per hen/duck
- Maximum size is four square feet per hen/duck
- Interior roosting area must be at least two feet high
- The entire structure can’t stand more than eight feet tall
The ordinance is scheduled to take effect in September.
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