Medford, OR Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

555, "Keeping of Poultry," allows what it calls "allowed poultry": chickens, ducks, geese, swans, and other domesticated fowl of comparable size, on residentially developed property, but only under strict conditions. Keeping poultry must be for personal use only; any related commercial activity is prohibited outright. Roosters are banned regardless of number or purpose. All birds must be confined to the property at all times, and no coop, pen, run, shed, or other enclosure may sit within four feet of an abutting property line, nor may any enclosure be located within the required front yard setback.

Owners must keep the property safe, including placing heat lamps the manufacturer's minimum distance from flammable material and using outdoor-rated electrical systems, and any coop construction must meet applicable building and fire codes. If poultry is harvested on-site, it must be done humanely with remains disposed of sanitarily. 555(3) separately bans keeping ostriches, emus, peacocks, turkeys, or similar birds on any residential property, regardless of the personal-use allowance for smaller poultry. The ordinance was added in 2017 by Ordinance No. 2017-109, amended in early 2018, and replaced in June 2018 by Ordinance No. 2018-62 to reach its current form. 535.