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County approves rules for backyard hens after amendments
Summary
The council approved Bill 52 (household hens) on second and final reading Nov. 19, 2025 after amendments clarifying containment options, flock sizes and prohibiting commercial sales; the vote was unanimous (9‑0).
Hawaii County Council approved Bill 52 on second and final reading on Nov. 19, 2025, changing county code to allow household hens in many residential and agricultural zones under specified conditions. The measure passed unanimously, 9‑0, after a sequence of technical amendments addressing containment, flock size and limited exceptions.
Public testimony on Bill 52 was mixed. Several residents urged allowing hens to free‑range within a homeowner’s fenced property rather than requiring fully enclosed coops, citing Hawaii’s climate and local practices. Elena Wiley asked the council to “return the verbiage ‘fenced area’ to this bill,” and other speakers described humane husbandry practices and the importance of eggs for household food security.
Councilmember Kimball introduced a series of amendments (communications 286.11–286.14) to clarify that the sale of hens or eggs from a household henry remains prohibited as a commercial activity, to adjust minimum flock allowances (e.g., four hens on lots up to 5,000 sq ft, then additional allowances per incremental lot size), and to allow the planning director limited discretion to approve exceptions where context justifies it. Planning Director Jeff Darrow described the director’s discretion as a plan‑approval process used in other code sections.
Action and outcome: The council adopted the amendments and voted to pass Bill 52 on second and final reading (roll call recorded as 9 ayes). The ordinance permits household hens under defined conditions, clarifies that occasional noncommercial egg sharing or sales are not intended to create commercial operations, and gives the Planning Department a process for case‑by‑case exceptions.
Quote: “Fenced area means animals must be confined within the property boundaries,” said a testifier urging amendments to allow free‑range within a property. Councilmember Kimball characterized the package of amendments as responsive to neighbor‑to‑neighbor realities while protecting community expectations.
The ordinance takes effect per the standard code timeline unless otherwise noted in the text; enforcement and operational guidance will be developed by the Planning Department.
