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Jones County commissioners approve amendment to allow up to 10 hens on residential lots
Summary
On July 7, 2026 the Jones County board approved a citizen‑initiated amendment to the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution to allow residents to keep up to 10 hens on residential property, with enclosure, setback and minimum space requirements recommended by the planning commission.
Jones County commissioners voted July 7, 2026, to adopt a text amendment to the county’s Comprehensive Land Development Resolution to permit residents to keep up to 10 hens on residential properties.
Planning staff told the board the change began as a citizen submission from Norma and Amos Ferdinand and was drafted into ordinance form for the board’s consideration. Staff said the planning commission recommended adoption with one addition: a minimum of 10 square feet of space per hen and enclosure and setback requirements to protect adjacent properties. “This is to allow for the keeping of up to 10 hens on residential property,” planning staff said in presenting the item.
The board’s discussion focused on the safeguards required around enclosures. A commissioner asked what “strong safeguards” meant in practice — whether the county would require secured coops rather than free‑range birds — and staff pointed to the CLDR enclosure maintenance standards in section 107.4 and the setbacks and location requirements in section 107.3. Staff said any structure housing hens, including runs, would generally be kept 45 feet from property lines, with a zoning director authorized to lower that setback to 5 feet if the adjacent property owner provides written permission.
A commissioner moved to adopt the amendment as presented and to accept the planning commission’s recommended wording and staff analysis; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board provided no public opposition during the meeting.
Why it matters: the amendment changes what residents in residential zones may keep on private property and codifies enclosure, density and setback standards the planning commission believes will limit nuisance concerns for neighbors. The change was adopted directly from a citizen petition rather than initiated by the commission.
What’s next: the adopted amendment will be implemented through the county’s land‑use code and enforced under the CLDR provisions referenced by staff; no additional board action was recorded at the meeting.
