Kewaskum Village- Backyard Chickens- ordinance

04/21/2022

Hi everyone! Sorry there hasn't been any posts recently. I was reevaluating how I want to approach this and I was waiting for the election of the new board members. Now that they have been elected, I will be back to working on getting chickens in Kewaskum! If anyone has any comments, ideas, or questions about what is going on please leave a comment below!

06/27/2021

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't been posting much on here. To be honest, I'm feeling a bit defeated and unsure what moves to make after some not so nice comments on my last post in Kewaskum Chatter. So I'm turning to you guys! Does anyone have ideas on how we should move forward to get chickens in our village?!

03/06/2021

Now that we finally have the proposed ordinance complete, we need to collect some data on support (or non-support as we want those not in favor to have a voice as well!) of the ordinance. Please take the survey below, it is 5 quick and easy questions that should take less than 1 minute to complete. Once you finish it, encourage other Kewaskum village members to take it as well!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N7CTD56

Please take the survey titled "Chicken Petition". Your feedback is important!

03/02/2021

Hey everyone! Check out the final version of the ordinance that we created!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT5eHV4kO8DGL6pa6Fw2PG2Cl3--uQFfq5fdKgevb_nrIg6DT48bKnxuv6zgOqY7yRk83Xwy4awzWVU/pub

Ord. No. 2003-11, 5-19-03 – Keeping of fowl (birds) and livestock (animals) regulated. No person shall keep, raise, or have in their possession any live fowl or livestock within the village limits, erect or maintain and use on any lot or parcel of land within the village any yard, coop, structure,...

01/28/2021

I have compiled ALL of the feedback and comments on each section. Thank you all SO MUCH for engaging in this process! I have revamped the proposed ordinance to incorporate the feedback. Do people want me to post the ordinance in its entirety for the final review? PLEASE let me know below!

01/21/2021

We did it! The LAST section of the ordinance to go over!

Inspection, Penalties, and Enforcement
· Inspection - The Village or deemed party shall have the power whenever deemed reasonably necessary to enter a building, structure, or property where chickens are kept determining compliance with the ordinance
· Enforcement – Any city officer designated by the village may issue compliance orders and citations
o Can revoke a permit to keep chickens if the village has issued two or more violations within any six month period
o All chickens, coops, and enclosures shall be removed by the permit holder within 21 days if the permit is revoked
· Penalties – Any person who violates this will be subject to a fine determined by the board
· Removal of chickens – Permit holders will be responsible for removing chickens from their property. If at the end of the 21 day period, the permit holder did not remove the chickens, a Village party can contact animal control at the expense of the permit holder to remove the chickens.

Please comment feedback below! Thank you all for sticking with me as we went through each of these. I believe it is important to have everyone on the same page of what we will be asking the board for.

01/17/2021

Almost done with the ordinance - thanks for sticking with us this whole time and providing feedback! We want everyone to be on the same page before bringing this to the board!

Miscellaneous
· Deceased chickens shall be disposed of immediately after death in a safe manner which may include trash disposal after placing the deceased chicken in a plastic bag or container sealed from leaking
· No slaughtering of chickens in the view of the public
· Permit holder shall fully comply with all state and federal regulations In regards to raising urban chickens

Next week is the LAST section - enforcement. Please let me know if I am missing anything or if you think something might be more appropriate in a different section!

01/13/2021

Because there were a bunch of comments on the coop design/maintenance section, I re-did it to incorporate the feedback and resources I was given. I want to bring that to you guys for another review! It's a bit long so I apologize but wanted to try to get it right! Let me know what you think!

Chicken Coop and Run Standards
•Coop and run shall be located only in the backyard
•Coop and run shall not be closer than five (5) feet to a lot line
•Coop and run shall not be closer than twenty (20) feel to the nearest building that does not belong to the permit holder
•The coop and run must provide safe and healthy living conditions for the chickens while minimizing adverse impacts to other residents in the neighborhood.
•The coop and run must be structurally sound, kept in good repair, and maintained.
•Coop must meet the criteria below:
o Raised off of the ground one-two (1-2) feet or concrete flooring.
o Each mature chicken shall have a minimum of four (4) square feet in the coop.
o There shall be at least one nesting box per four (4) mature chickens.
o The coop shall include elevated perch or roost.
o Shall have a roof and sides, be enclosed on all sides, have at least one door that locks, and be moisture resistant.
o The coop shall have adequate windows to provide proper light and ventilation. A coop must have at least one (1) window that is covered with predator proofing material such as hardware cloth.
o The coop’s temperature must be maintained so that it does not become hotter than 85 degrees Fahrenheit and should not go below 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Heating lamps cannot be used to heat the coop.
o Hardware cloth or similar material with one-inch or smaller openings will be used on any openings or windows to prevent predators from entering.
•Chickens must have access to a run that meets the criteria set forth below:
o Each mature chicken shall have a minimum of six (6) square feet of ground space.
o The run must be roofed in some way whether shingled, hardware cloth, or similar material to prevent aerial predators.
o If the run is not mobile, side fencing must either be buried twelve (12) inches into the ground, or the floor of the coop must have material that prevents digging predators from entering run.
o If the run is mobile, it can be moved as long as it follows the restrictions relating to property lines.
o Access to dirt for the chicken to use for a dust bath.

01/08/2021

Many people tend to think chickens are stinky and dirty. That's why there is an entire section dedicated to sanitation and cleanliness! Chickens really aren't dirty or smelly unless they are improperly cared for - just like any other animal. Regardless, it is important to address to ensure that the chickens are properly cared for!

Sanitation
· Chickens will be provided with access to adequate feed and clean water at all times
· Chicken feed is to be stored and kept in containers which make the feed inaccessible to rodents, vermin, wild birds, and other predators
· Coops, enclosed areas, and adjacent lot areas shall be reasonably free from chicken-produced substances so that the air and environment do not become noxious
· Coops, enclosed areas, and adjacent lot areas shall not create a condition that would likely promote flies, mosquitoes, or other insects or provide a feeding place for rodents or other animals
· Should not be injurious to public health

Let me know if there is anything that needs to be added or clarified!

01/02/2021

Lets jump right back into talking about the ordinance! Remember to comment your feedback, suggestions, changes, or approval!

Chicken Coop Location, Design, and Maintenance
· Coop and any attached enclosure shall be located only in the rear yard
· Coop and an attached enclosure shall not be closer than 5 feet (or whatever distance the board determines) to the rear property line or any abutting property
· Coop and attached enclosures shall not be closer than 20 feet (or whatever distance the board determines) to the nearest building that does not belong to the permit holder
· Chickens will be kept and maintained in a ventilated, roofed coop
· All enclosures shall be enclosed with wire netting or equivalent material that will prevent chickens from escaping or predators from accessing the chickens
· Allow 3 square feet per chicken in the run
· Clear open space to allow chickens to walk on the ground and/or concrete slab

Sanitation requirements will be next weeks topic, this week is about the design and location of the coop.

01/01/2021

Happy New Year everyone!

My goal for 2021 is to get the board to allow chickens in Kewaskum! That means we will need to all come together and advocate with the board!

What's your goal for 2021?

12/28/2020

Let's talk about permits before the New Year!

Permit
·No person shall own, keep, or maintain chickens within the village limits without first obtaining a permit
·Prior to obtaining a permit, the applicant will complete the application (separate form which I will post after we complete the ordinance for approval!)
·Permits shall be issued to village residents only
·No permit to any applicant who has an outstanding fine, fee, charge, or overdue owing to the Village
·No permit to anyone with an outstanding building or other code enforcement orders or received a citation in the past three years (or timeline determined by the board) for violation of minimum standards for property maintenance

Terms and Fees
o Permits are granted for one year basis
o Permits shall be renewed annually
o Permits cannot be transferred to another applicant or property
o Annual permit fee determined by the board members
o Fee must be paid to the City Clerk at the time of application
o Fee will not be prorated for a partial year

Let me know what you all think about permits! For some background, every other somewhat local place that allows chickens has a type of permit. I read their ordinances, applications, and spoke with some board members to create our ordinance.

12/25/2020

Merry Christmas for those who celebrate! Happy holidays to those who don't!

12/18/2020

As we all prepare for the holiday season, we will go over a short section of the proposed ordinance.

Prohibited Areas
· Vacant lots
· Non-residential zoned land except with prior authorization by Kewaskum Board
· On a property that is non-owner occupied or leased by a third party unless prior written approval from the owner of the residence

Remember - if there are no comments with suggestions or things that might be missing, I am going to assume everyone is in agreement. Thanks!

11/29/2020

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving! If people don't comment on the posts with the sections of the proposed ordinance, I'm going to assume people agree with it and don't want to make any changes. So if you disagree or want something added/changed - make sure you comment!

11/19/2020

Good afternoon everyone! Let's go over another section of the proposed ordinance! Please comment below on any opinions or changes you would like to see. Today it is about keeping chickens!

Keeping of Chickens
· May be kept or maintained within the village limits, subject to all requirements and restrictions
· Up to 5 chickens (hens or pullets) on lots that are greater than .25 acres
· Up to 3 chickens (hens or puellets) on lots that are less than .25 acres
· No roosters or cockerels shall be kept or maintained at any time
· No free-ranging chickens
Chickens shall at all times be kept in a coop or enclosed area unless leashed and monitored by a responsible adult

11/09/2020

Good morning and happy Monday!

I want to start to get people's opinions and feedback on what we are asking for as part of the ordinance. On a previous post someone commented it would be easier to see in sections, so that's what we are going to do! Lets start with some definitions...

Abutting Property: All property that abuts an applicant’s property at one or more points.
-Exceptions: public streets, roads, or real estate owned by the city

Backyard: The portion of a lot enclosed by the property’s rear lot line and the side lot lines to the points where the side lot lines intersect with an imaginary line established by the rear of the single-family structure and extending to the two side lot lines

Chicken: A female (hen) of any age, including chicks
-This does not include other kinds of fowl such as ducks, quail, pheasant, geese, turkeys, guinea hens, peacocks, emus, or ostriches.

Coop: An enclosed structure, building, or pen within which chickens roost or are housed

Run: An enclosed structure outside that provides space for the chickens to be outside

I see a lot of people are checking out our page - which is great! Please comment and interact with each other! I REALLY want feedback on this stuff to make sure we are all in agreement before bringing it to the board!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

10/30/2020

Happy Friday everyone!

After discussing with the board president further, he suggested coming up with a list of restrictions and regulations that we would be okay with, which I agree there has to be some regulations. I have them typed up based on what other cities near us have done and what some of us feel would be reasonable.

Would it be easier to post it in sections or would you like to see it in one big document? I want to get everyone's feedback and opinions before showing any of the board members.

10/27/2020

Welcome to all the people who followed this page in the last 24 hours! Feel free to introduce yourself in the comments below and any experience with chickens you have! We want this to be a welcoming page where we can have open discussions about chickens!

10/06/2020

Check out this short PowerPoint discussing the 6 most common myths about owning chickens! Please ask questions if you have them!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTdzOBP876eA4BnHMDBeNGSx_lD5Wob27d_4aw9oyrjqxgfK4DOMcTf5IFJ9tJ8dWFq-fqxRZ9TwQ56/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=10000

10/05/2020

We are a small group of people hoping to change the current ordinance, which does not allow chickens in the village limits. With the increased popularity of farm-to-table and the importance of sustainability, we feel that chickens are a great way to achieve these goals.

If you live in the Village or know someone who does and like the idea of chickens, please like and share this page. Please ask questions in the comments. We are hoping to educate as much as we want to change the ordinance!

10/05/2020

Welcome to the page where you can find out all about the the soon to be proposed Backyard Chicken ordinance for the Village of Kewaskum! Learn the benefits of raising chickens and break the myths!