Milwaukee, WI Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Hen limit
- 4 chickens, no roosters
- Permit
- Required, with neighbor notice
- Coop setback
- 25 feet from adjacent home
- Space requirement
- 16 sq ft per chicken
- Slaughter
- Prohibited on-site
Summary
Milwaukee allows up to 4 hens per residential property with a permit, neighbor notice, and a 25-foot coop setback.
KEEPING OF CHICKENS
ALLOWED. The keeping of up to 4 chickens, with
a permit, is allowed on a residential premise,
provided the following:
a. No person shall keep any rooster.
b. No person shall slaughter any
chickens.
c. Chickens shall be provided with
fresh water at all times and adequate amounts of
feed.
d. Chickens shall be provided with a
sanitary and adequately-sized covered enclosure,
or coop, and shall be kept in the covered
enclosure or a sanitary and adequately-sized and
accessible fenced enclosure, or yard, at all times.
e. Chicken coops shall be constructed
in a workmanlike manner, be moisture-resistant
and either raised up off the ground or placed on a
hard surface such as concrete, patio block or
gravel.
f. Chicken coops and yards shall be
constructed and maintained to reasonably prevent
the collection of standing water, and shall be
cleaned of hen droppings, uneaten feed, feathers
and other waste daily and as is necessary to
ensure that the coop and yard do not become a
health, odor or other nuisance.
g. Chicken coops and yards together
shall be large enough to provide at least 16 square
feet per chicken.
h. No enclosure shall be located closer
than 25 feet to any residential structure on an
adjacent lot.
i. No enclosure shall be located in the
front yard of a dwelling.
j. In addition to compliance with the
Full Breakdown
Keeping chickens in Milwaukee requires a permit from the health commissioner before any birds go in the yard. Applying triggers mandatory notice by mail to the property owner and every directly or diagonally abutting neighbor (including across an alley), who get 14 working days to file a written objection and demand a hearing before the permit is granted. Once issued, a permit allows up to 4 hens: no roosters and no on-site slaughter. Coops and yards together must provide at least 16 square feet per bird, sit at least 25 feet from any residential structure on an adjacent lot, and cannot be placed in the front yard. Coops must be moisture-resistant, raised off the ground or set on a hard surface, and cleaned of droppings and waste daily.
Violations & Fines
Violating the permit terms, keeping a rooster, slaughtering birds, or letting a coop become a nuisance is grounds for the commissioner to revoke the permit outright, and once revoked it cannot be reissued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep roosters in Milwaukee?
Do my neighbors get a say before I get a chicken permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Milwaukee
How Milwaukee compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Milwaukee to another location·View the Wisconsin animal ordinances overview
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Chickens & Livestock in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Milwaukee County handle chickens & livestock.