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Topeka staff propose limits on backyard chickens; committee asks for refinements, delays vote
Summary
Animal-control staff proposed an amendment to Topeka’s animal ordinance to limit and permit backyard chickens and roosters, citing noise, sanitation and disease concerns; the Policy & Finance Committee asked for clearer enforcement plans, placement resources and peer-city comparisons and deferred a vote to a future meeting.
Jessica Bowers, supervisor for animal control for the City of Topeka, outlined proposed changes to the city’s animal ordinance on Nov. 12 that would add a permit and numeric limits for chickens and roosters and tighten definitions for enclosed pens.
Bowers told the Policy & Finance Committee that the existing ordinance requires coops to be 50 feet from neighbors but does not cap the number of birds. She said calls for fowl-related complaints rose in recent years and that staff recorded roughly 145 fowl-related calls in 2024 and about 127 through September 2025, though she cautioned the department’s MDT system can conflate different animal complaints. "We have no holding facility for chickens or roosters," Bowers said, citing limits on how the city can legally transport or house seized or surrendered birds.
Bowers cited nuisance and health concerns — including noise from roosters, odors and risks such as salmonella and avian influenza — and recommended a permit program with numeric limits informed by peer cities. She presented examples used by neighboring jurisdictions, noting most ordinances cap birds between three and 10 and that an average of six hens is tolerable near close neighbors; she suggested 3 square feet of coop space per chicken as a planning benchmark.
Committee members commended the research but pressed staff on implementation details. Council members asked for clearer wording on what constitutes "at large" when birds are supervised in a yard, whether roosters would be allowed in smaller-acreage properties, and whether pre-inspections for permits were realistic given city staffing. Several members said they favored comparing local options with other Kansas cities and requested a one-page chart summarizing peer-city limits and permit processes.
Resident Dave Peterson of the Auburndale neighborhood told the panel he supports action: "I think it's going in the right direction," he said, thanking staff for compiling information. The committee did not take a vote on the ordinance at the meeting; the chair directed staff to return with more detailed language, placement resources and enforcement options for a future agenda so the full council can consider the matter.
Next steps: staff will refine ordinance text, assemble partner and placement options, and return to the committee before the item goes to the full governing body.
