Wisconsin Legislators Looking at New Statewide Law Regarding Backyard Chickens in Municipalities

Friday, January 5th, 2024 -- 10:00 AM

(Robert D'Andrea, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin legislators are looking to supersede a patchwork of local laws around owning backyard chickens.

According to Robert D'Andrea with Wisconsin Public Radio, right now, municipalities decide their own rules. Madison allows flocks of up to eight hens, Appleton allows up to six. Residents of Green Bay, Kenosha, and Racine can have up to four. But some jurisdictions ban the birds outright, while others have requirements for keeping chickens that leave some Wisconsinites frustrated.

"It's kind of piecemeal in that people are going from municipality to municipality and trying to get these ordinances passed,” said Republican Rep. Shae Sortwell, the bill’s author in the Assembly. "I believe that you have an inherent right to produce your food for yourself and your family."

Sortwell said his intent is to establish a baseline statute that would allow up to four chickens on property zoned for residential use. The bill also applies to ducks, geese, quail or guinea fowl.

Under the bill, local governments would be allowed to prohibit roosters and require that keepers of fowl have permits or notify their neighbors. Municipalities could "impose reasonable regulations related to the location of fowl housing on a property.”

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.