Grant County, WI Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

The Grant County Board of Supervisors added § 206-15.1, "Livestock at large," on 8-19-2014, citing authority under § 59.54(22), Wis. Stats. Its stated intent is to prohibit livestock from running at large and posing a threat to the safety of people. This is a containment rule, not a licensing or zoning rule: the section prints no minimum lot size, flock cap or coop setback for keeping chickens or other animals in unincorporated Grant County.

The core prohibition is short. No owner of livestock may negligently, or otherwise, permit the livestock to run at large. The definition in subsection C(2) is broad: cattle, bison, horses, swine, sheep, goats, farm-raised deer, poultry, llamas or alpaca. Because poultry is on the list, a backyard flock that wanders is covered the same way a herd of cattle is.

The code then says when an animal counts as at large. Livestock is running at large if it is off the premises of its owner and not under the control of the owner or some other person. A second, separate trigger follows: livestock is also considered to be running at large if it is not properly detained in a fence or some structure. That second sentence makes the fence or coop itself the compliance question.

Subsection C(4) allows an officer to attempt to capture and restrain livestock at large. "Officer" means a peace officer, full-time health officer, humane officer, warden, or an employee designated by the governing body of the County, city, village or town. Under C(5), the owner of livestock that is at large or captured pays, in addition to all penalties assessed under § 206-17, all veterinarian fees, including fees for shots, licensing and room and board. Subsection C(6) exempts any town having its own livestock-at-large ordinance.