Springfield, MO Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

City Code § 18-24(b) allows up to six chickens per tract of land regardless of how many dwelling units sit on it, hens only: roosters are prohibited outright and there is no breed restriction. Chickens must be secured in a henhouse or chicken tractor overnight, set back at least three feet from the property line and 25 feet from a neighboring dwelling, church, school, or business, and sited in the zoning code's required rear yard. Owners must control odor, predators, and manure (capped at three cubic feet stored) and keep noise within the zoning ordinance's § 6-1500 standards. Commercial breeding or fertilizer production is banned; personal slaughter is allowed only if sanitary and not visible from neighboring property.