Beloit, WI Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Chicken limit
- 4 female chickens per lot
- Roosters
- Prohibited citywide
- Coop size cap
- 24 sq ft for new coops
- Coop setback
- 10 ft from house and lot line
- Permit
- Annual residential chicken permit required
- First-year cap
- 30 permits issued in 2013
Summary
The City of Beloit lets a residential lot with one single-family home keep up to 4 female chickens, but bans roosters outright and requires an annual residential chicken permit before any coop or run goes up. Coops top out at 24 square feet, must sit in the rear yard, and slaughtering is illegal except at a licensed meat processor.
(2)CHICKENS ALLOWED.(a)Any person may keep up to 4 female chickens on any residential zoning lot in the City which contains one single-family residential dwelling unit. No person shall otherwise keep any chicken within the City of Beloit other than as permitted in a "Development Holding" zoning district as provided in §7.243(3) and §5-204 of the City of Beloit Zoning Code.(b)No roosters shall be allowed to be kept under this section. ... (6)LOCATION OF COOP AND RUN. A coop must be located no closer than 10' to the rear wall of the residential dwelling unit located on the zoning lot and no portion of the coop or chicken run shall be located within 10' of any lot line of the zoning lot upon which the coop and chicken run are located, unless the rear or side lot is contiguous to an alley in which case the coop or run shall not be located within 3' of the lot line. ... (7)ANNUAL RESIDENTIAL CHICKEN PERMIT REQUIRED. No person shall keep any chickens nor construct any coop or chicken run without first obtaining an annual residential chicken permit hereunder.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Update 01 - 05-2026).
Full Breakdown
244 governs chickens citywide. 243(3) and § 5-204 of the Zoning Code. A coop must be built from conventional materials or a premanufactured enclosure secure against rodents, wild birds, dogs and cats, and a newly built or installed coop cannot exceed 24 square feet. Siting is strict: a coop must sit at least 10 feet from the rear wall of the house and at least 10 feet from any lot line, dropping to 3 feet where the rear or side lot borders an alley, and no part of the coop or run may come within 20 feet of a neighboring principal structure.
Chickens must stay inside the coop or run at all times and be secured in the coop between sunset and sunrise. 51, Wis. , and ATCP 17. on January 2 of that year. Chicken runs are exempt from the zoning code's ordinary fencing standard but must be built of wire made for containing chickens, feed must be kept in rodent-proof containers, and chicken waste must be disposed of under Chapter 17 of the Municipal Code.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 7.244, including keeping a rooster, exceeding 4 hens, skipping the annual permit, or slaughtering a chicken outside a licensed processor, draws the general forfeiture set by § 25.04 of the Municipal Code. Beloit also escalates for repeat offenders: anyone convicted of a § 7.244 violation more than twice within a rolling 365-day period becomes ineligible to receive a renewal permit for a full year after the last conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a rooster in Beloit?
How big can my chicken coop be in Beloit?
Do I need a permit to keep chickens in Beloit?
What happens if I keep more chickens than Beloit allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beloit
How Beloit compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Beloit to another location·View the Wisconsin animal ordinances overview
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Chickens & Livestock in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Rock County handle chickens & livestock.