Fargo City Commissioners Approve Backyard Chickens

The new ordinance clarifies what up until now has been a grey area because of conflicting city codes regulating chickens, one allowing chicken coops and another that only permitted chickens in "agricultural zoned area's." 　

FARGO (KFGO) – Fargo City Commissioners have voted to approve changes to allow homeowners to keep backyard chickens.

The new ordinance clarifies what up until now has been a grey area because of conflicting city codes regulating chickens, one allowing chicken coops and another that only permitted chickens in “agricultural zoned area’s.”

Kim Lipetzky with Fargo-Cass Public Health has been working city departments and others to clear up the chicken ordinance.

She says this has been an issue in Fargo for years.

That’s why in 2015, the Cass-Clay Food Commission was formed to study urban agriculture issues like this.

She says other cities that have implemented similar ordinances regarding chickens have had few if any complaints.

The ordinance outlines specifications for the size, construction and location of chicken coops, caps the number of chickens at four for now, and bans roosters because of their noise.

The city will also require a permit that will cost $15 to $20. The ordinance needs a second reading before becoming law.