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

Eagan City Code § 10.12, Subd. 8 lets residents keep chickens only in an area zoned agricultural, or on a single-family detached lot under a city permit. The application goes to the city clerk with a sketch plan of the coop and run, a certification of whether an HOA bars chickens, and the signatures of every fee owner if the applicant is not the owner. Permits run one year and renewal must be filed 60 days before expiration; the animal control officer must inspect and approve the coop and run before any permit or renewal issues.

Construction standards are specific: the coop needs at least two square feet of floor space per chicken and the run at least five square feet per chicken, the coop and run together count as one accessory structure, they must sit at least 25 feet from any inhabitable building, and setbacks run at least ten feet from the rear lot line and five feet from side lines (ten feet on both for estate-zoned lots), never in the front yard. Feed must be stored in vermin-proof containers and waste removed regularly to stay sanitary and odor-free.

Under the permit conditions, no more than five chickens may be kept, roosters are prohibited outright, slaughtering on residential property is banned, chickens cannot be housed inside a dwelling or garage, and they may never run at large unless the whole property is fenced to contain them. Every egg produced must stay for personal use; the code flatly bars selling or offering chicken eggs for sale. Any violation of the subdivision or of a permit condition is grounds for the city clerk to revoke the permit, and a revoked or expired permit requires the coop and run to be removed immediately.