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

Jefferson County Code § 22-7 defines chicken keeping as a residential accessory use, capped at five hens per single-family lot in districts where residential accessory uses are permitted. Roosters are barred entirely, and the rule does not extend to other fowl, peafowl, guinea hens or peacocks; those uses fall under the county's separate farm-animal definition. The enclosure and its fencing must meet the road setback for the zoning district and sit at least 15 feet from any side or rear lot line, with the setback measured from the fencing or structure itself.

A covered structure is required inside the fenced enclosure, and the whole enclosure is capped at 200 square feet total. Any enclosure structure larger than 100 square feet triggers a requirement to obtain a zoning and land use permit from Planning and Development before construction. Slaughtering chickens on-site is prohibited outright under subsection (g) of the definition. The fenced enclosure and covered structure must be kept sanitary at all times so they do not create a nuisance; an odorous or dirty coop can draw a separate nuisance complaint on top of the chicken rule itself.

Because this sits inside the chapter's general definitions article rather than a stand-alone article, chapter-wide zoning enforcement under Jefferson County Code § 22-22 governs violations: the zoning administrator refers noncompliance to the corporation counsel or district attorney for prosecution.