Grantwood Village Approves Pet Chickens—With Restrictions

“I never thought I would be worried about chickens in Grantwood Village,” Board of Trustees Chairwoman Cathy Forand told Patch in an email.

Despite the “worry,” the village is giving pet chickens a go, as of its October meeting Tuesday.

An ordinance is being drawn up allowing villagers to raise chickens for their eggs or keep them as pets. The ordinance places a number of restrictions on keeping chickens and lays out the parameters of required enclosures.

The restrictions draw primarily on the rules laid out by other St. Louis municipalities that allow chickens. Roosters, which crow loudly, are expressly prohibited, and residents will not be allowed to keep chickens for commercial purposes. Only four chickens will be allowed per house.

“One of the ladies that lives in the village is a biologist, and she graciously said that she would help us put something together,” Forand said of the restrictions in the ordinance.

The subject of chickens came up when a Grantwood Village resident, believing that chickens were allowed as they are in unincorporated St. Louis County, looked to start keeping hens. A neighbor noticed the coop she had delivered, and brought it up to the board of trustees. Soon after another resident was discovered to have also been keeping chickens.

When asked to look at the issue, the village found two laws on the books regarding chickens: one allowing them and one banning them. After hearing a number of residents speak in favor of allowing chickens, the board decided to amend the law to clear up the contradiction in the birds’ favor.

The village’s lawyer is drawing up a complete ordinance allowing chickens and setting the restrictions for them. The ordinance will not apply to Grant's Farm or the . The board plans to pass this ordinance at its November meeting.