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Council adopts ordinance limiting roosters and prohibiting peafowl, guinea fowl
Summary
On second reading city code was amended to prohibit more than one rooster per parcel in city limits (effective 05/20/2026, except open space districts) and to ban peafowl and guinea fowl; the council voted in favor on second reading.
The Bristol City Council on Dec. 2 adopted ordinance 25-26 to amend Chapter 10 of the city code governing animals. The ordinance prohibits keeping more than one rooster per parcel within the city beginning May 20, 2026 (except on properties in the OS/open space district) and bans peafowl and guinea fowl.
Staff summarized the history of the issue: an initial staff proposal to ban roosters outright drew strong public comment last year, so council directed additional research. The revised ordinance reached council as an accommodation to concerns about noise and neighborhood impacts. As presented, a rooster is defined as "an adult male domestic chicken," and the revised code text restricts the number of roosters and outs peafowl and guinea fowl from city limits.
Council moved, seconded and approved the ordinance on second reading by roll call vote. The effective date in the ordinance gives residents a period to comply or seek clarification for properties in open-space designations.
The council discussion and the record indicate staff incorporated public comment from prior meetings before presenting the revised language for final action. The ordinance text sets a clear effective date and defines allowable exemptions by district.
