Des Moines, IA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 18-4 of the Des Moines Municipal Code splits animal-keeping into two tracks. Horses, cows, goats and other agricultural animals need an acreage-zoned lot, a 75-foot setback from any neighboring dwelling, and are capped at two animals per acre, one more per additional acre, with fowl getting 25 per acre. Smaller fowl and caged animals, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, are allowed on any lot with a 25-foot coop setback, capped at two species and 30 birds under an acre, or six species and 50 birds per acre above it. Roosters require written consent from every abutting neighbor; unconsented roosters already owned must be gone by December 31, 2026. Violations are misdemeanors or municipal infractions under Section 18-13.