Public notice: City of Manchester

Manchester City Hall, 912 City Road

CITY OF MANCHESTER WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICHIGAN ORDINANCE No. 12

AN ORDINANCE TO ALLOW FOR BACKYARD FEMALE CHICKENS AND QUAILS IN THE CITY OF MANCHESTER.

THE CITY OF MANCHESTER, WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICHIGAN, HEREBY ORDAINS:

SECTION 1. AMENDMENT TO 90.20 (A) OF THE MANCHESTER CODE OF ORDINANCES

(A) Except as otherwise prohibited within this chapter, no person shall keep any livestock or poultry, except for female chickens (hens) and quails, within the city.

SECTION 2. AMENDMENT TO 90.21 OF THE MANCHESTER CODE OF ORDINANCES

The keeping of livestock and exotic or wild animals otherwise prohibited by this chapter may be permitted by applying for a special permit from the City Council. Permits may be issued for fairs, circus performances, or other public exhibitions or entertainment events. There is no permit needed for keeping of animals at the Manchester Community Fair. The keeping of female chickens (hens) and quail may be permitted by applying for a permit through the City Manager’s Office.

SECTION 3. AMENDMENT TO 90.22 OF THE MANCHESTER CODE OF ORDINANCES

Sec. 90.22 Keeping of female chickens (hens) and quails

Any person keeping female chickens (hens) and quails in a residential district must comply with the following:

(A) Parcels are permitted 5 fowl for anything less than .50 an acre. Parcels are permitted up to 10 fowl for any lot between .50 (one-half) and 1 acre and no more than 15 total fowl, in any combination of hens or quail per parcel greater than 1 acre;

(B) The principal use of the person’s property must be for a single-family dwelling;

(C) No keeping of roosters;

(D) No slaughter of hens and quail on the premises;

(E) Waste materials (feed, manure, litter, etc) shall be disposed of in a sanitary manner (which must include bagging or composting) and not piled or otherwise stored on the property;

(F) Hens and quail feed must be stored in a manner that is impervious to rodents;

(G) Hens and quails shall be provided with a secure, well-ventilated, roofed, and lockable enclosure, where they must be kept during non-daylight hours. The floors and walls of the structure shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition. All enclosures for the keeping of female chickens and quails shall be so constructed as to prevent rats, mice, or other rodents from being harbored underneath, within, or within the walls of the enclosure;

(H) Hens and quails must be always kept in a fenced area subject to the requirements of Chapter 151.102;

(I) Hens and quails must be kept in the rear of the property. Backyard means the portion of a lot enclosed by the property’s rear lot line and the side lot lines to the points where the side lot lines intersect with an imaginary line established by the rear of the single-family and extending to the side lot lines;

(J) All enclosures shall be at least 10 feet from any adjacent property not owned by the permittee and 20 feet from any structure on an adjacent property;

(K) Any person who keeps female chickens and quail must obtain a permit prior to obtaining hens and quail, which shall remain valid for 2 years from the date of application;

(L) Notwithstanding the issuance of a permit by the city, private restrictions on the use of property shall remain enforceable and take precedence over a permit;

(M) The City of Manchester may revoke a permit if a person’s hens or quails become a nuisance, defined as two determined violations pertaining to the keeping of hens and quails within a six-month period; and

(N) Keeping of hens and quail shall be for personal use only and not for commercial activities. Farm stands at the side of the street are prohibited.

SECTION 4. REPEAL OF CONFLICTING PROVISIONS

All other City ordinances, City Council resolutions, and parts thereof that conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed and shall be of no further force or effect.

SECTION 5. SEVERABILITY

If any section, paragraph, clause, or provision of this Ordinance shall be held invalid, the invalidity of such section, paragraph, clause, or provision shall not affect any of the other provisions of this Ordinance.

SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE

The City Clerk shall cause this Ordinance, or a synopsis of this Ordinance, to be published in the manner required by law within fifteen (15) days after it has been duly adopted by the City Council. The effective date shall be the 20th day after the date of publication.

Adopted: June 2, 2025

Published: June 11, 2025

Effective: July 1, 2025

CERTIFICATION

I, Brittany Kuhnle, am the Clerk for the City of Manchester and certify that the above Ordinance was offered by member Woods and supported by member Chartrand and the following council members voted:

AYE: Chartrand, Dresch, Harvey, LaRocque, Way, Woods, Vailliencourt NAY: None ABSTAINED OR ABSENT: None

Further, this Ordinance, or a synopsis of this Ordinance, was published in the Manchester Mirror, a newspaper circulated in the City of Manchester on June 11, 2025.

Brittany Kuhnle, City Clerk

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.