City of Brainerd to review chicken ordinance during Tuesday’s Council meeting

BRAINERD — The Brainerd City Council is expected to review the number of chickens allowed in city limits during its meeting tonight.

A resident voiced concerns about the city’s pet ordinance, which allows residents to have any combination of four dogs, cats or chickens. The resident wanted to have the limit raised, requesting that a flock of four chickens count as one animal under the ordinance.

Rising food prices are helping drive the issue. Chickens are flock birds, which means hens need poultry companionship to thrive. A comparison of ordinances from three similar-sized Minnesota cities showed a more generous allowance of three or four birds allowed in addition to dogs and/or cats.

Baxter allows up to four chickens thanks to a 2020 chicken ordinance. The city has no restrictions on the number of other pets allowed. The recommendation from Brainerd city staff, according to Tuesday’s council packet, is to amend the pet ordinance to allow either any combination of four dogs and cats, or any combination of three dogs and cats along with a maximum of four chickens.