Accessory Poultry Keeping & Backyard Poultry

Many people wish to keep chickens or other poultry on their property in unincorporated Larimer County. This page will help you to understand the different regulations Larimer County has in regards to Accessory Poultry Keeping and Backyard Poultry. In general, there are two sets of regulations: one for urban areas and one for rural areas. If you need help understanding if your property is located within an urban or rural area, please contact the On Call Planner at planning@larimer.org. 

Land Use Code
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Rural poultry keeping operations shall be located outside of established GMAs, the Laporte Plan Area, and the Estes Valley Planning Area and shall comply with the following standards: 

General: 

  1. No more than 50 birds per acre shall be kept on one lot.  
  2. The sale of eggs, processed meats, and other byproducts at an on-site farm stands shall be limited to birds raised and processed on site. 

Design:

  1. A minimum of one coop and one run shall be provided.
  2. Coops and runs shall be covered, properly ventilated, predator-resistant, and adequately sized to support the number of birds kept on site.
  3. The ratio of coop area to run area shall be at the discretion of the owner based upon the species, size, and other characteristics of the poultry.  
  4. Coops and runs shall be regularly cleaned to control dust, odor, and waste and not constitute a nuisance, safety hazard, or health problem to surrounding properties.
  5. Poultry are not required to be confined to the coop, run, or other enclosed areas at all times.
  6. Portable coops on wheels, skids, or other mobile support structure are allowed and subject to paragraphs b., c., d. and e. above. 

On-Site Processing:

  1. Up to 1,000 birds raised on the premise may be processed per calendar year.
  2. On-site processing shall not include birds raised on a different lot than the poultry keeping operation.  
  3. On-site processing shall occur in an enclosed structure or an adequately screened area that prohibits off-property visibility of the processing area. A licensed mobile processing unit is considered an enclosed space.
  4. Enclosed processing areas shall meet all minimum setbacks required for the property and shall be setback a minimum of 50 feet from all property lines.
  5. Screened processing areas shall meet all minimum setbacks required for the property and shall be setback a minimum of 100 feet from all property lines unless separated by a building or structure that effectively prohibits off-property visibility of the processing area. 

Backyard poultry uses shall be located within established GMAs, the LaPorte Plan Area, or the Estes Valley Planning Area and shall comply with the following standards:

General 

  1. No more than 50 birds shall be kept on one lot.
  2. The total number of birds allowed on a property shall be based upon a minimum provision of 12 square feet for each bird, not to exceed two percent of the lot. For example, two percent of a 5,000 square foot lot is 100 square feet. Each bird requires a minimum of 12 square feet therefore eight birds are allowed on the lot (100 ÷ 12 = 8.3).
  3. Roosters are prohibited.
  4. Backyard poultry shall be confined to the coop and/or run area at all times.
  5. The on-site  retail sale of eggs generated by backyard poultry shall be considered either a home occupation or rural occupation and subject to the applicable standards set forth in §3.4.7.B, Home Occupation and §3.4.7.C, Rural Occupations.
  6. Backyard poultry uses are not considered a principal agricultural uses and farm stands are prohibited unless the subject property also maintains a principal agricultural use. 

Design

  1. Coops and runs shall be covered, properly ventilated, predator-resistant, and adequately sized to support the number of birds kept on site.
  2. The ratio of coop area to run area shall be at the discretion of the owner based upon the species, size, and other characteristics of the poultry.
  3. All portions of coops and runs shall meet all minimum setbacks required for the property.
  4. Coops and runs shall be regularly cleaned to control dust, odor, and waste and not constitute a nuisance, safety hazard, or health problem to surrounding properties. 

On-Site Processing: 

  1. No on-site processing of backyard poultry for commercial purposes shall be allowed.
  2. Processing of poultry for the personal consumption of the occupants of the property is allowed and shall occur in an enclosed area. 

FAQs

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  1. What is poultry?

    Any domesticated bird, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, raised commercially or domestically for eggs, meat, or other byproducts.