City Code Chapter
13.40.010 Owner Responsibilities.
- A. Requirements and best practice recommendations. All livestock keepers must meet the provisions of this Title and any administrative rules for best practices determined applicable by the Director.
- B. Nuisance complaints. The keeping of livestock will not create a nuisance or disturb neighboring residents due to noise, odor, damage or threats to public health. Livestock keepers are required to respond immediately to remediate nuisance complaints, including but not limited to: waste removal and general upkeep of the livestock facility, feeding or watering practices that attract rats, animal noises and animals roaming off the property they are being kept.
- C. Contagious diseases. A livestock keeper must contact a licensed veterinarian to examine any animal believed to have a disease contagious to animals (e.g., mange, eczema) or humans (e.g., ringworm, hepatitis, rabies). The animal in question must be confined in a secure enclosure until it is declared free of the disease by a licensed veterinarian.
13.40.020 Backyard Livestock.
- A. Chickens and other domestic fowl.
- 1. Up to four (4) chickens, ducks, pigeons and/or other similarly sized domestic fowl may be kept on any lot. Up to six (6) small domestic fowl may be kept on lots 10,000 square feet and greater. In addition to these numbers, up to four (4) small domestic fowl under 12 weeks of age are allowed. There is no maximum number on lots 20,000 square feet or greater that allow agricultural uses through Title 33: Zoning, or that have an approved conditional use.
- 2. Geese, turkeys, peacocks, emus and/or other larger domestic fowl that have a tendency to be loud and/or aggressive, may be kept on lots 20,000 square feet or greater that allow agricultural uses through Title 33: Zoning, or that have an approved conditional use. Six (6) geese, turkeys, peacocks, emus or other similarly sized domestic fowl are allowed on lots 20,000 square feet or greater. Two (2) additional animal is allowed for each 5,000 square feet greater than 20,000 square feet.
- 3. It is unlawful to have or keep roosters except for agricultural purposes on lots that allow agricultural uses.
- 4. It is unlawful to color or dye any fowl under two months of age.
- B. Rabbits.
- 1. Up to four (4) rabbits may be kept on any lot. Up to six (6) rabbits may be kept on lots 10,000 square feet and greater. These numbers do not include rabbits under 12 weeks of age that are the offspring of a resident female rabbit. There is no maximum number on lots 20,000 square feet or greater that allow agricultural uses through Title 33: Zoning, or that have an approved conditional use.
- 2. It is unlawful to color or dye any rabbit under two months of age.
- C. Miniature goats and miniature sheep.
- 1. Up to three (3) miniature goats and/or miniature sheep may be kept on any lot. Up to five (5) miniature goats and/or miniature sheep may be kept on lots 10,000 square feet and greater. Nursing offspring that exceed the number allowed may be kept until weaned, but no longer than 12 weeks from birth. There is no maximum number of miniature goats and/or miniature sheep on lots 20,000 square feet or greater that allow agricultural uses through Title 33: Zoning, or that have an approved conditional use.
- 2. Upon request from the Director, animal keepers must produce documentation that their animal is a recognized miniature breed and weights no more than100 lbs.
- 3. Standard size goats and sheep must meet the standards of Large Livestock Section 13.40.030.
- D. Miniature pigs.
- 1. Up to two (2) miniature pigs [commonly referred to as Miniature Vietnamese, Chinese or Asian Potbelly pigs (sus scrofa vittatus)] may be kept on any lot if the pig’s maximum height is no greater than 22 inches at the shoulder and it weighs no more than 150 pounds.
- 2. Upon request from the Director, animal keepers must produce documentation that their animal is a recognized miniature breed and weights no more than 150 lbs.
- 3. With the exception of Subsection 13.40.020 D.1., it is unlawful to have or keep any live pigs or swine for a period longer than 3 days.
13.40.030 Large Livestock.
- Large Livestock may only be kept on lots 20,000 square feet or greater that allow agricultural uses through Title 33: Zoning, or that have an approved conditional use.
- A. Maximum number
- 1. Two (2) standard goats, standard sheep, miniature horses, or other similarly sized livestock are allowed on lots 20,000 square feet or greater. One (1) additional animal is allowed for each 10,000 square feet greater than 20,000 square feet.
- 2. One (1) horse, cow, llama or similarly sized livestock is allowed on lots 20,000 square feet or greater. One (1) additional animal is allowed for each 20,000 square feet greater than 20,000 square feet.
- B. Additional standard for Large Livestock. It is unlawful to picket any Large Livestock or allow them to roam, so that it may approach within 50 feet of any building used as a residence, or any commercial building in which foodstuff is prepared, kept or sold.
13.40.040 Livestock Facility Standards.
- A. Required area dedicated to livestock
- 1. Chickens and other domestic fowl. Each fowl over 12 weeks of age must be provided a minimum of 10 square feet of usable shelter or pen area.
- 2. Rabbits. Each animal over the age of 12 weeks must be provided a minimum of 4 square feet of usable shelter or pen area. A doe and her litter must be provided at least 7.5 square feet of shelter or pen area.
- 3. Miniature goats, sheep and pigs. Each of these animals, other than their young under the age of 12 weeks, must be provided a minimum of 200 square feet of usable shelter or pen area.
- 4. Miniature horses and standard size goats and sheep. Each of these animals, other than their young under the age of six months, must be provided a minimum of 10,000 square feet of usable shelter or pen area.
- 5. Cows, horses and similar large livestock. Each of these animals, other than their young under the age of six months, must be provided a minimum of 25,000 square feet of usable shelter or pen area.
- B. General standards. The following standards must be met to ensure the livestock facility is in good repair, capable of being maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, free of vermin, disease, and obnoxious smells.
- 1. The health or well-being of the animal must not in any way be endangered by the manner of keeping or confinement;
- 2. The livestock facility must be adequately lighted and ventilated;
- 3. A replaceable ground cover, appropriate to the type of animal being kept, must be used to reduce smells and flies; and
- 4. All food and any materials that attract vectors must be stored in vector-proof containers.
- C. Secure enclosure.
- 1. Livestock facilities must be designed and maintained to confine the livestock. Under the livestock keeper’s supervision livestock may be allowed outside of the livestock facility but must stay on the property it is being kept. Livestock may never be allowed to roam at large.
- 2. On lots with more than one residential unit, livestock must be confined to the livestock facility at all times.
- 3. Adequate safeguards must be made to prevent unauthorized access to the animals by general members of the public.
- D. Setbacks.
- 1. Structures in a livestock facility must be located at least 3 feet from side and rear property lines and at least 10 feet from the front property line.
- 2. On lots with more than one residential unit, livestock areas must be located at least 15 feet from the walls of all residential units and any outdoor spaces used for activities such as, but not limited to, seating, playgrounds and recreational fields.
- E. Other development standards. If applicable, all development in the livestock facility must comply with the City’s building code and must be consistent with the requirements of any applicable zoning code, condition of approval of a land use decision or other land use regulation.