Blaine, MN Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Blaine treats backyard chickens as a zoning-regulated accessory use, not a by-right pet. Sec. 109-118(5) allows single-family (R-1) lots to keep "not more than six hen chickens consistent with standards outlined in section 129-20," and the Residential Estate district permits the same under Sec. 109-84(5) referencing Sec. 109-83. Sec. 129-20 sets the substantive rules: every chicken operation must be registered with the city before the birds are placed, with the city council setting a one-time registration fee, and the registration package must include a site and building plan showing the coop, pen or run and its setbacks.

No more than six hens are allowed and roosters are prohibited outright. The coop, including any covered run, cannot exceed 60 square feet, and it must sit in the rear yard, at least five feet from the side or rear lot line and at least 30 feet from any home on an adjacent property. Runs must be fenced unless the whole rear yard is enclosed, and chickens may never run free. Waste must be removed from the coop before it becomes a nuisance, and on-site composting of chicken waste is banned outright.

Slaughtering and processing must happen off-site entirely. If a homeowners association governs the property, its management must also sign off on the chicken placement before the city will register it.