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

Backyard chickens are regulated by Lakeville Zoning Code Section 11-35-3 (Keeping Animals). Chickens may be kept on a property developed with a single-family dwelling in a residential zoning district only after approval of an administrative permit, and the chicken owner must occupy the premises for which the permit is issued. The coop's interior floor space must provide a minimum of 2 square feet for each chicken authorized by the permit, and the coop may not exceed 32 square feet in area. A run with sides and an overhead fully enclosed by fencing, wire mesh, or netting must be attached to the coop and must provide a minimum of 5 square feet and a maximum of 20 square feet per authorized chicken. The coop and run must be located closer to the permit holder's principal dwelling than to any other residential dwelling on an abutting property. Chickens must be confined inside the coop from sunset to sunrise each day to prevent attracting predators and to minimize nuisance noise. Roosters are not permitted. This is a local Lakeville rule; residents in true agricultural/rural zoning districts are subject to the separate agricultural animal provisions of the same chapter rather than the residential chicken-permit standard.