Madison, WI Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Two provisions of the Madison General Ordinances govern backyard chickens. Zoning Code Sec. 151 allows keeping up to eight chickens as an accessory use on residential lots containing up to four dwelling units, and separately allows up to eight chickens as an accessory use to a museum, school, day care center, or recreation, community, or neighborhood center. Roosters may not be kept anywhere in the city, and chickens may not be slaughtered on site. The birds must be provided a covered enclosure and kept in that covered enclosure or a fenced enclosure at all times, and the enclosure must sit at least twenty-five feet from any residential structure on an adjacent lot.

Anyone applying who is not the property owner or operator must notify all residents of the property and the owner or operator before starting, though renewal applications skip that notice. Separately, Sec. 52 requires every chicken keeper to obtain an annual license from the City Treasurer before January 1 of each year, or within 30 days of acquiring the chickens, for a $10 fee; the license year runs January 1 through December 31. Owners who miss the April 1 deadline, or the 30-day window after acquiring chickens, owe a $5 late fee.

The Zoning Administrator may revoke the chicken-keeping license if the property racks up three or more violations of Sec. 52 or the Chapter 28 chicken-keeping standards within any six-month period, cutting off the ability to keep chickens at that address until a new license is obtained.