Battle Creek, MI Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 608.30 of the Battle Creek Codified Ordinances allows urban livestock on single and two-family residential parcels in the City of Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan when it is accessory to a permitted residential use and housed at the premises occupied by the owner of the livestock. Hens, ducks, quail and honey bee hives each count as one animal unit, and no more than one type of urban livestock is allowed per property unless the property exceeds 3 acres. The chicken allowance by lot size is 2 animal units for 5,000 to 9,999 square feet, 4 for 10,000 to 14,999, 6 for 15,000 to 29,999, 8 for 30,000 to 43,559, and 10 for 43,560 square feet or more. No urban livestock can be kept within one hundred feet of any well, spring or stream.

Hens need an enclosure in the rear yard with at least 10 sq. ft. per hen, at least 20 feet from all adjacent property lines and 40 feet from residential structures on adjacent properties, on well-drained ground. Inside it goes a covered, well ventilated, predator proof coop with at least 2 sq. ft. per hen, nesting boxes for each three hens, 12 inches of roost per hen, and a height of no more than 8 feet. Hens can roam outside the coop only within the fully fenced rear yard under direct adult supervision. Roosters are expressly prohibited regardless of age or maturity. Slaughtering on site is prohibited, feed must be stored in a rodent-proof container, and waste must be composted 20 feet from adjoining property lines or stored in a sealed container.

Permitting is layered. Zoning permits and inspections cover the enclosure and structures, and Planning and Zoning staff inspect before a license is approved. The license lasts up to three years, one license is required per property, and a renter needs the owner's written authorization to apply. The City issues at most fifty licenses for chickens, twenty-five for ducks and twenty-five for quail, and when a cap is reached no more are issued. A permit can be denied or revoked for nuisance conditions, including on the third substantiated violation.