Leominster, MA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

The underlying districts table of uses at City Code § 22-17 sets the citywide rule for keeping chickens and other poultry on residential property. The listing, 'Poultry, ten animals or less, for use by residents of the premises,' is marked 'Y' for allowed by right in the RR (Rural Residence and Agriculture) and RA (Residence A) districts, meaning a resident can keep up to ten birds without a hearing or special permit as long as the birds are for the residents' own use rather than a commercial flock.

In the denser Residence B, Residence C, Business A and Business B districts the same use drops to 'SPBA,' meaning it requires a special permit from the board of appeals, a discretionary approval that lets the board weigh nuisance, odor and neighbor-impact concerns before authorizing the flock. In the Commercial, Industrial, Multi-Use 1, Multi-Use 2 and Village districts the table marks the use 'N,' not allowed, so poultry keeping is prohibited outright regardless of flock size. The ten-animal cap applies specifically to residential keeping; larger poultry farming is addressed separately as a farm use in the Rural Residence and Agriculture district.

Any use not listed in the table of uses is treated as prohibited under the ordinance's general rule that unlisted uses are not allowed, so keeping poultry outside the RR, RA, RB, RC, BA and BB districts, or above the ten-bird cap without qualifying as a farm, places the property outside the zoning ordinance's permitted uses. The director of inspections enforces the table of uses as part of general zoning enforcement.