Kalamazoo, MI Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Poultry setback
- 10 ft from all property lines
- Coop-to-structure distance
- 15 ft from neighbor's building
- Roosters
- Prohibited citywide
- Swine permit
- Required from City Commission
- Farm animal lot size
- Minimum two acres
- Farm animals per lot
- Capped at two
Summary
In the City of Kalamazoo, keeping chickens is a zoning matter, not an animal-code permit: City Code § 50-4.5D allows poultry and rabbit coops in side or rear yards, set back 10 feet from all property lines and 15 feet from a neighbor's primary structure, but bans roosters outright. Backyard swine need a City Commission permit under § 7-4, and horses, cows, goats and other farm animals require a two-acre fenced lot under § 7-6.
§ 7-4. Permit to keep pet swine. No person shall keep, upon any premises within the City limits, any swine whatever, without a special permit from the City Commission or its designee, which permit shall be granted only upon the written application of the person desiring the permit. ... § 7-6. Keeping of horses and other farm animals. A. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or harbor or own any horse, mule, ass, sheep, goat, cow or other farm animal not subject to the provisions of §§ 7-4 and 7-5 of this chapter within the limits of the City unless the same are kept in a lot at least two acres in size and unless the same are kept in a sanitary condition, free of offensive odors ... No person shall keep or harbor or own within the City more than two animals described in this subsection. ... Poultry and rabbits are permitted as follows: ... [1] Permitted in the side or rear yards. [2] Must be set back 10 feet from all property lines. [3] Must be located a minimum of 15 feet from an adjacent lot’s primary structure. ... Roosters. Keeping of roosters is not permitted.
Full Breakdown
Community Planning and Economic Development administers the zoning standard for coops, while the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and the county animal control officer enforce Chapter 7 under § 7-2. A swine permit application under § 7-4 must specify the exact premises and the number of pigs sought; the City Commission's permit then fixes both, and keeping swine anywhere else or in a greater number is unlawful. Section 7-6 requires horses, mules, cattle, sheep, goats and similar farm animals to be kept on at least two fenced acres, sanitary and free of odors, capped at two animals per lot; seasonal carriage horses used commercially are excused from the acreage rule but still capped at two.
No horse, swine or poultry may run at large anywhere in the city. The zoning coop standard requires a sanitary, odor-free pen sited in the side or rear yard, 10 feet from every property line and 15 feet from a neighboring structure, with roosters banned citywide regardless of setback.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 7 sets no specific fine for these sections, so violations default to City Code § 1-7: a fine of not more than $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep chickens in my Kalamazoo backyard?
Do I need a permit to keep a pig in the city?
Can I keep a horse or goat in Kalamazoo?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kalamazoo
How Kalamazoo compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Kalamazoo to another location·View the Michigan animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.