Help me know my exact city ordinance?

[FirewifeJess]

I live in Covington WA and have yet to find EXACT city ordinance for the keeping of chickens. My neighboring city, Kent, is very liberal and with their ordinance I could have up to 19 chickens and it doesn't look like there are rooster bans. I have found that the city of Covington has adopted King County Ordinance for animals, but I can't find anything about the keeping of fowl in their ordinance, it's over 50 pages long and only deals with dogs, cats, and exotic animals that I can find. Can anyone help me find out the exact ordinance so I know if I'm operating my backyard flock within code? Right now I have 11 pullets (though I might have a roo), a coop that is 5x7 and kept clean, which is at least 10' from the neighbors' fence. Can I keep my roo? Can I have more chickens?

 

[Imp]

Hi Jessica,
I'm right next door in Cascade area of Benson Hill.
I used to be in King Co., before we annexed to Renton.
The regs for chickens were a minimum of 6000 sf lot allowed 3 chickens. Then every additional 2000 sf allowed for an additional chicken.
No Roos.
There were also some setback requirements for coops. If my memory serves it was an easy 10 ft from any residence and property line.
Don't quote me on this, it was a long time ago.
It's late right now, but I'll be around in the morning, so I'll find them and post or send them to you.

Imp

 

[FirewifeJess]

Thanks that would be awesome if you can actually find it and/or link me to it. I know Kent's ordinance is 3 chickens per 5,000s/f lot, plus an additional chicken per extra 1,000s/f. I have almost half and acre with 21,000+s/f, so under Kent I could have 19 including roosters since there isn't a ban. I'll keep an eye on this thread too though!

 

[Imp]

Thanks that would be awesome if you can actually find it and/or link me to it. I know Kent's ordinance is 3 chickens per 5,000s/f lot, plus an additional chicken per extra 1,000s/f. I have almost half and acre with 21,000+s/f, so under Kent I could have 19 including roosters since there isn't a ban. I'll keep an eye on this thread too though!

It looks like since King Co turned over animal control to the Humane Society/ volunteers that they have a complete new code, that doesn't really mention BYCs. Looks very animal/farm friendly with a bunch of large livestock, wetlands, salmon, heron etc regs.

Sorry the links are not working.

You could try contacting Seattle Tilth, they are pretty up on Chicken stuff here around the sound.

Here let's try this.

http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/legislation/kc_code.aspx

Code 21A.28 through 21A.55. Lots of stuff you don't need for BYCs or non large livestock.

Imp-

 

[FirewifeJess]

Wow, looks like they don't even have a maximum of chickens for the property size, except they have to each have 1s/f inside their coop. that's insane! I'm glad to know my chickens will be inside regulations AND happy

 

[Imp]

I would imagine that the kicker is that you would never get a permit for the max 2000 sf coop on a suburban lot.
Can you imagine. lol!

I think since the economy is so tight, that worrying about chickens seems like a waste of resources. Concentrate on large livestock, dogs etc. Did you notice- no limit on indoor cats.

I would suggest you make friends with your neighbors, if you have any, avoid noise complaints.

Good luck,

Imp

 

[FirewifeJess]

I would imagine that the kicker is that you would never get a permit for the max 2000 sf coop on a suburban lot.
Can you imagine. lol!

I think since the economy is so tight, that worrying about chickens seems like a waste of resources. Concentrate on large livestock, dogs etc. Did you notice- no limit on indoor cats.

I would suggest you make friends with your neighbors, if you have any, avoid noise complaints.

Good luck,

Imp

I just hope my roo doesn't end up a complete nuisance. I have been under the impression I couldn't have roosters and sad that I might have to get rid of him (if it is, indeed, a him), but what I would really love is to keep him and let the girls raise some of their own chickies next year if they want to. Just not sure of the logistics of keeping a rooster with a bunch of hens. Pretty much the same? And yes, my neighbors are very happy with my promises of fresh eggs in the fall!

 

[LBear]

Hello!
I thought I'd share the info I was able to get last fall.
I went down to the city of Kent and asked if there
were any chicken restrictions of any kind.
I was told there were no restrictions on roosters,
that they are subject to the noise ordinance, but
it is highly unlikely that a rooster could violate it,
as the noise must be constant in such a way
that it could be measured in decibels. Dogs are
another example of an animal that can make a
lot of noise, but is nearly impossible to cite.
Chickens are subject to the quantity limit based
on property size, but seems generous. Based
on square footage I can legally keep about 20
chickens, both hens and roosters on just under
a half acre. I love roosters as part of my flock.
I admire how they keep watch for the safety of
the hens, warn of danger, and round them up
and take them in when danger is spotted. They
point out food and stand aside while the hens
partake. Not to mention their beauty. I hope that
city of Kent will continue to allow roosters. Should
they decide to outlaw roosters due to the occasional
and intermittent crowing, I hope that they will outlaw
barking dogs. We have tolerated the barking of
our neighbor's dog for years - with no remedy
available to us - since the neighbor does not show
any willingness to suppress it.
I think rooster owners can help to keep our birds
welcome by keeping them closed in the coop until
a reasonable hour each morning. I can sympathize
that city folk may not appreciate the crowing before
dawn.
I have pasted the Kent ordinance pertaining to numbers
of fowl allowed.
I hope this helps!
Sincerely,
LBear


15.08.070 Keeping of animals.

The keeping of bees, small domesticated animals, large domesticated animals, and domesticated fowl, as those terms are defined in KCC 8.03.030, is permitted in all zones as an accessory use to any principal use permitted or to a permitted conditional use, subject to the standards and restrictions of this section and Ch. 8.03 KCC.
A. Small domesticated animals. Up to three (3) small domesticated animals may be kept accessory to each business establishment or dwelling unit on a lot, except as follows:
1. In no case is more than one (1) miniature potbelly pig allowed per business establishment or dwelling unit.
2. More than three (3) small domesticated animals are permitted on lots of at least twenty thousand (20,000) square feet, subject to the provisions of Ch. 8.03 KCC.
3. In no case shall a structure that restrains or houses small domesticated animals, such as a kennel or other accessory structure, be located closer than ten (10) feet from any other residential lot.
C. Domesticated fowl. Up to three (3) domesticated fowl may be kept on any lot that is at least five thousand (5,000) square feet, subject to the provisions of Ch. 8.03 KCC. These domesticated fowl are in addition to the small domesticated animals that may be permitted on a lot in accordance with subsection (A) of this section. One (1) additional domesticated fowl is permitted for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of land in excess of the minimum five thousand (5,000) square foot threshold. In no case shall a coop or other accessory structure that restrains or houses domesticated fowl be located closer than ten (10) feet from any other residential lot.

 

[coffeegirlJC]

I also live in Kent and although a couple of my neighbors have indicated they can occasionally hear my 4 hens, none have complained. Personally, I would not keep a rooster because of the noise. My hens are loud enough. They tend to announce every time an egg is laid or the wind blows. No offense intended to any one but again, to me its a question of courtesy to not keep a rooster if you live in anything resembling a neighborhood. I don't care for my neighbors occasional barking dog either but I also don't think it's fair to my neighbors to add to the problem with a 5AM rooster. I also look at it this way, if nobody complains and you don't add to the problem with a rooster then you won't run the risk of having 'hen rights' taken away by annoyed neighbors.

 

[Duck Drover]

I live in Covington and I got a letter in the mail today that a "concerned citizen" filed a report of a nuisance pertaining to animals on the property. I assumed it had to do with my ducks and chickens but I can't find any indication that I am breaking any ordinances.

I have too many roosters currently because I raised a bunch of Silkies and now have young roosters that have started to crow. They are kept in an insulated coop that is more than 10 feet from our property line (which is bordered by a street so the closest neighbors on that side are across the street) and we keep them in the coop until 9am every day of the week, not just weekends.

I also have an Orpington rooster that crows and a silver Phoenix rooster that crows in addition to the Silkie roosters but this is the first I have heard of a complaint. The neighbor across the street from the front of our house has at least one rooster and I hear it crow so I wonder if they also had a complaint. I don't need to keep so many Silkie roosters so I can certainly part with some but I would like them to have homes instead of being eaten if possible. I can take them to the poultry auction in the morning but that is a death sentence. With the Seahawks game tomorrow, I wonder if I should wait until next Saturday for more backyard buyers. I also need to come up with sturdy boxes so I listed them on Craigslist to see if I can get them sold this week instead of taking them to the auction. I have young Orpington roosters I better sell before they start crowing because I don't want to have a nuisance to my neighbors but at the same time I have invested a lot of time and money into my flock so I don't want to give up all my birds just because a coward has a problem that was never communicated to me.

I can't get more information until Monday so that gives me reason to stress out all weekend.. The letter says someone will be visiting my property in the next two weeks but they do not give a specific date they will come. I want to have the problem solved before they get here, even if it means moving birds off my property until I can get them sold.