Manchester City Council to consider ordinance to legalize backyard chickens
Legalizing backyard chickens is on the agenda at next Monday’s City Council meeting. Photo credit: Mack Male/WikimediaCommons
by Laurie Brewis
At the Monday, May 19, 2025, meeting of Manchester’s City Council, a group of residents will present an ordinance that will once again allow backyard chickens and quail within Manchester’s city limits.
Jessyca Hannah moved to Manchester recently and when she asked about backyard chickens in Manchester on Facebook, the responses to her inquiry encouraged her to “go to City Council.” She did, and now, she is heading up a committee that drafted a proposed ordinance for Manchester’s City Council to consider.
Hannah raised backyard chickens at her previous home before moving to Manchester and confirms that chickens are just the sweetest creatures ever! But more importantly, she states that backyard chickens can have a very positive impact on a community by providing locally grown eggs to combat rising egg prices, support food self-sufficiency, and support a growing interest in sustainable living. Chickens even help reduce food waste by consuming kitchen scraps and providing natural fertilizer for gardens. Hannah discovered that, in Washtenaw County, only Manchester and Dexter do not allow raising chickens in their city limits. Hannah’s desire to change this is based not only her desire to return to raising chickens, but on the belief that raising chickens can teach children and adults about animal husbandry and responsibility. A Michigan group, Ferndale Chickens, whose goal is “a hen in every yard,” provides a comprehensive website for everything needed to support the raising of backyard chicken with tips on building a coop, to cleaning, care, feeding, and addressing common “myths.” Their website can be found at https:/ferndalechickens.com.
In drafting the proposed ordinance for Manchester, the committee reached out to local communities to research the contents of their ordinances and lessons learned. The proposed ordinance is modeled after the city of Saline. Some of key provisions of the ordinance include an application process for residents interested in raising chickens. Additionally, the proposed ordinance limits flocks to hen chickens or hen quail (no roosters and no ducks), limits the total number that can be approved based on the size of the applicant’s yard, requires a secure coop and fenced enclosure that is located in a rear yard with setbacks of at least 10 feet from property lines, and mandates proper storage of feed and composting of manure to prevent odors and pests, and ensuring coops are well-ventilated, predator-resistant and maintained in a sanitary condition. This type of containment will promote responsible husbandry and reduce the unwanted wandering of chickens into a neighboring yard. It is also assuring to know that if a resident is not following the ordinance, their right to have chickens can be taken away by repeated ordinance violations.
Drawbacks to raising chickens include the cost of setting up a coop and purchasing supplies. For most backyard chickens, other than a reliable supply of eggs, there is no profit realized. Additionally, regular cleaning and care are essential to prevent odors, pests, and disease. Like raising any animal, being a responsible herder is essential.
When asked about what she would tell those opposed to the initiative, Hannah just requests that she has an opportunity to understand what they really are concerned about and encourages them to “maintain an open mind.” Manchester residents interested in the backyard chicken initiative are encouraged to participate in the upcoming city council meeting on Monday, May 19, at 7pm in the City Council chambers on the lower level of the City Building located at 912 City Road, to become educated on the initiative and proposed ordinance, and provide input.
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