Browse another municipality →
Jamestown
Town of Jamestown Zoning Ordinance
Read in full Download
§ 82-1207

Keeping of chicken hens

  • A. General. The owner of any house lot containing at least one dwelling may keep or permit to be kept on the house lot no more than six chicken hens on lots less than one acre, and 12 on lots between one acre and two acres and 20 on lots larger than two acres. Lots qualifying as farms have no restrictions on the number of chicken hens.

  • B. Roosters. Subsection A of this section shall be construed to prohibit the raising and/or keeping of roosters.

  • C. Structures and enclosures. All chicken hens must be provided with both a hen house (coop) and a fenced outdoor enclosure, subject to the following provisions:

    • 1) The hen house must be covered, predator-resistant and well-ventilated. It shall be no more than eight feet in height and a maximum of 64 square feet in area;

    • 2) The fence made of chicken wire or a stronger substance shall be no more than six feet in height;

    • 3) The hen house must provide a minimum of two square feet per chicken hen;

    • 4) The hen house must be kept clean, dry, and sanitary at all times;

    • 5) The hen house must be located upon a permeable surface that prevents waste run-off;

    • 6) The fenced enclosure must adequately contain the chicken hens at all times;

    • 7) The fenced enclosure must be kept clean and sanitary at all times;

    • 8) The hen house must provide the chicken hens with adequate protection from the elements and inclement weather and provide for the chicken hens good health and prevent any unnecessary or unjustified suffering;

    • 9) The hen house shall not be built onto any shared fence;

    • 10) The setbacks for the hen house and enclosed area shall be those for the principal dwelling located on the house lot.

  • D. No chicken hens may be kept or raised within the dwelling.

  • E. The owner of the hen(s) must be a resident of the dwelling located on the house lot.

  • F. The raising of chicken hens shall be restricted to back yards or side yards; chicken hens shall not be permitted, at any time, on the part of the property directly abutting a road.

  • G. The keeping of chicken hens pursuant to this section shall be primarily for the purpose of raising chicken hens and collecting the eggs produced thereof; this section shall not be construed to allow for the commercial slaughter and sale of any chicken hens for any purpose.

  • H. Necessary euthanasia of chicken hens shall be performed by a veterinarian licensed to practice in the State of Rhode Island.

(Ord. of 2-3-2025(1), § 1(Exh. A))