Jackson County, MI Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Jackson County has no zoning authority of its own, so it does not regulate where chickens or livestock may be kept, how large a coop must be, or how far a barn must sit from a property line; those questions belong to the township or city in which the animals are kept under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act. ' The ordinance's own definition of 'Livestock' in Article 2 is broad, covering horses, mares, sheep, bulls, cows, mules, goats, swine, and 'fur-bearing animals being raised in captivity,' so the at-large ban reaches essentially every farm animal an owner might keep, not just cattle.

The provision carries one explicit carve-out: it 'shall not prohibit leading or driving livestock, under the owner's or custodian's supervision, along a public highway,' so trailing animals down a road to pasture or market remains lawful as long as the owner or custodian is actively supervising the movement. 00, community service, or a combination, plus court costs, with each day of continued at-large roaming chargeable as a separate offense.