Columbus, IN Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

This is an animal-keeping rule, not a right-to-farm statute, and it is the code's only farm-animal exemption tied to agricultural zoning. Section 6.08.025 prohibits harboring domestic animals and farm animals within the City of Columbus, Indiana unless the domestic animal is a pet or the animal is in the possession of a keeper, meaning a veterinarian or an operator of a kennel, pet shop, boarding kennel or stable temporarily keeping animals owned by or held for sale to others. Farm animals are defined in § 6.04.010 to include horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, mules, donkeys, llamas, alpacas, chickens, turkeys, quail, ducks and similar animals, and the pet definition says farm animals are not pets.

The exemption has two conditions that must both be met. The keeping must occur on a single property, or on immediately adjacent properties in the same ownership, that exceed 35 acres, and the property or properties must be included in their entirety in an agricultural zoning district. The exemption extends to chickens. The text refers to "6.09.045" where the chicken section is 6.08.045.

Outside the exemption, chickens are a permitted farm animal under § 6.08.045 only within strict limits: a flock of not more than four hens, a coop and attached run giving each chicken not less than four square feet, a combined coop and run not exceeding thirty-two square feet, a location not less than twenty feet from any adjacent property line, no placement in the front or side yard, confinement limited to owner occupied real property, and a premises identification number from the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. Roosters are prohibited unless held by a keeper.

The agricultural district boundaries are not set in Title 6. The code names the Columbus and Bartholomew County, Indiana Zoning Ordinance in § 5.30.120, so confirm a parcel's district with the Planning Department before relying on the exemption.