Bloomington, IN Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

010 defines a 'chicken flock' as one or more chickens capped at five hens with no roosters, permitted by the City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control Department, and located only in an estate residential (RE), single-dwelling residential (RS), residential core (RC) district, or the equivalent portions of a planned unit development. 028 requires the property owner to apply for the permit before harboring any chickens, listing each bird's breed, sex, age and coloration and the zoning district of the address; the permit isn't transferable to another person or location, and no applicant may harbor more than one chicken flock in the city.

057 sets the physical standards: the coop and run together must provide twelve square feet per chicken, stay clean, dry and odor-free, keep out rodents and predators, and sit behind a sight fence or shrub screen at least four feet tall if visible from a neighboring lot. The coop and run must also be at least twenty feet from any building not owned or occupied by the harborer that's used for human habitation, and at least twelve feet from any neighboring property line. Three admitted or judicially determined nuisance violations within twelve months can cost the harborer the permit. 010 fall outside the residential chicken flock program entirely.