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Resident told county zoning currently bars backyard chickens in single‑family residential areas
Summary
A resident asked whether chickens are permitted on residential parcels; zoning staff said county single‑family residential zoning disallows farm animals and that changes would require town‑board support or state action.
A resident asked the Marquette County Planning & Zoning Committee whether chickens could be kept in backyards on parcels covered by county zoning. Committee staff explained that, under current county zoning for single‑family residential parcels, farm animals are not permitted and chickens are treated as farm animals by state guidance.
Staff said that previous inquiries and an unsuccessful legislative effort had left the county in a position where most town boards under county zoning have not supported allowing chickens in residential districts. Staff suggested that residents seeking a change should petition their town board and county board members or contact state legislators about the previously proposed statute that would have superseded local zoning.
The committee noted that some municipalities have different local rules; the Village of Oxford was cited as an example with its own limits (no roosters and a small-number limit reported by a speaker). Committee staff encouraged citizens to build local support from town boards before bringing a formal ordinance change to the county board.
