Chickens in Your Subdivision?

The Webster Groves City Council this week unanimously approved changes to the city guidelines on residents keeping domestic animals and fowl in their yards.

The changes, among other things, place restrictions on the proximity in which chickens and other fowl can be kept to neighboring property lines. Structures and enclosures must now be kept at least five feet from the property line.

Although the new restriction is somewhat looser than the 12 feet that were previously required for structures, enclosures previously had no proximity restriction. Council members had discussed complaints from residents whose neighbors kept chickens that were allowed to roam up to the property line while inside pens.

Other changes established in the new ordinance are that structures for the animals must be kept at a maximum of 100 square feet, ducks are added to the list of approved fowl and the maximum number of chickens or ducks allowed per any residence has been lowered to eight from 12.