Lakeville considers raising backyard chicken limit to six hens

Lakeville's Planning Commission recommended raising the backyard chicken limit to six hens, a change that would matter most for residents keeping a small flock on residential property. Mayor Luke Hellier shared the update and sought public input, but the ordinance still needs council approval before six hens becomes the rule.

Lakeville already handles chickens through its animal-keeping code, 11-35-3: Keeping Animals, and the city uses an administrative permit for the birds. The chicken permit application carries a $100 fee and asks for the property address, legal description or PID, and the applicant's contact information, so this is a formal permit process, not an informal backyard exception.

This was not Lakeville's first chicken vote. A city document says the Lakeville City Council unanimously approved an ordinance amendment on Oct. 16 to allow residents to raise a few chickens on residential property. The six-hen recommendation would push that earlier allowance farther, if council members sign off on the change.

For keepers, the practical questions are the ones that usually decide whether a flock works on a suburban lot: roosters, coop placement, lot size, setbacks, permits and enforcement. Lakeville's code snippet for 11-35-1 says the maximum number of chickens allowed on a property is three under the administrative permit, so moving to six hens would double the cap and make the permit details even more important. Until the council acts, the older limit is still the one that controls the coop.