Lansing permits up to four hens (no roosters) on single-family residential lots with a city-issued chicken-keeping permit. Coops must sit at least 10 feet from any dwelling and 5 feet from property lines, and slaughtering is prohibited. Goats, pigs, cattle, and other livestock are banned in residential zones; Michigan Right-to-Farm Act protections do not extend to non-conforming urban use.
Lansing Code Chapter 608 (Animals) and zoning amendments adopted in 2017 allow residents of single-family detached homes to keep up to four hens for personal use with a chicken-keeping permit from the Lansing Code Compliance Division. Roosters are prohibited entirely. Coops and runs must be at least 10 feet from any dwelling on adjoining property and at least 5 feet from any side or rear lot line; front-yard coops are banned. Slaughtering on the property is prohibited. Eggs and live birds may not be sold commercially without further licensing. Goats, pigs, cattle, sheep, horses, and similar livestock are banned in residential zones; only agricultural or specially zoned properties may host them. Michigan's Right to Farm Act (MCL §286.471) protects qualifying commercial agricultural operations but does not preempt Lansing's ban on urban livestock because non-commercial backyard keepers are not "farm operations" under the Act. Beekeeping is allowed with hive registration and setback compliance.
Keeping unpermitted hens, a rooster, or any prohibited livestock is a municipal civil infraction with fines of $100–$500 per occurrence per animal. Permits may be revoked for repeat nuisance complaints (odor, noise, vermin), and animals may be removed by Ingham County Animal Control at the owner's expense.
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