6.10.010 Keeping of hens.
The keeping of hens shall be permitted on properties used for single-family and duplex residential purposes under the following conditions:
A. Keeping of roosters shall be prohibited;
B. Hens may be kept, as provided in this section, by the owner or tenant of any single-family or duplex residence, provided that the hens are kept on the same premises where the owner of the hens resides;
C. One hen is allowed for each one thousand five hundred square feet of lot area up to a maximum of six hens on any lot or contiguous property under the same ownership;
1. In the R1 zone only, up to twelve hens may be allowed on lots of one-half acre or more, provided that if there are more than six hens, the shelter and fenced yard area shall be a minimum of forty feet from any habitable residential building on an adjacent property.
D. Hens shall be contained at all times within a fully enclosed fence, pen or coop which is constructed to prevent dogs, coyotes, raccoons, rats, and other predators and pests from accessing the hens;
1. Except in the R1 zone, pens, coops or other enclosed shelters shall be less than one hundred twenty square feet in area; in the R1 zone, coops or other enclosed shelters shall be less than two hundred forty square feet in area;
2. For each hen, a fenced open yard area of at least twenty square feet and an enclosed shelter of at least four square feet shall be provided;
3. Fenced open yard areas and enclosed shelters shall be a minimum of twenty feet from any habitable residential building on an adjacent property;
4. Hens shall be treated humanely, and shall be provided with adequate food, water and shelter;
5. Hen enclosures and fenced open yard areas shall be kept in a good working and sanitary condition, shall not cause odor or noise nuisances, and shall not be deemed to be unsightly from any public right-of-way, as determined by the administrator as defined in Section 6.10.020 or the animal control officer;
6. Coops and hen enclosures shall not be located in the front yard of a lot nor in a side yard which abuts a street, unless previously approved by the planning director;
7. Two or more people may cooperatively own and care for hens by means of a portable coop that may be moved from one property to another, provided that all requirements of this code are met on each of the properties to which the coop is moved. (Ord. 2955 Att. A, 2015)