Lee’s Summit Approves Urban Chicken Ordinance

It is time to update my chicken chart once again, because our fair suburban township to the east, Lee’s Summit, has approved the keeping of urban chickens. Here are the rules in brief:

• Allows up to 6 chickens per tract of land
• Only hens, no roosters
• Must be restrained at all times and secured inside a henhouse during non-daylight hours
• Backyard only; Henhouses must be located 10 feet from property line and 40 feet from adjacent buildings/homes
• Must maintain chickens in a clean environment with no perceptible odor or excessive noise at property boundary
• Chicken manure must be removed or stored in a secure manner with no more than 3 cubic feet of manure stored
• Non-Commercial use only
• Allows for the slaughter of chickens only within an enclosed area out of public view

The full details of the ordinance and video footage from the July 11, 2013 city council meeting wherein the ordinance was passed are available on the Lee’s Summit website. I must commend the drafters of this ordinance. I have read through all of our areas’ various ordinances governing backyard chickens, and this is the clearest, most detailed, structured, and thorough set of rules governing backyard chickens that I can recall. In addition, as one who has a small backyard flock of four hens, I can say with confidence that, if followed, these regulations are sufficient for a clean, happy home and community. It was further encouraging to see a representative of the animal control department at the council meeting; he seemed confident in his ability to regulate the ordinance.