[CC 1985 § 4-1; 1977 Code; Ord. No. 158 § 1, 3-5-1956; Ord. No. 781, 7-8-2003; Ord. No. 922, 8-4-2008; Ord. No. 21-1194, 4-19-2021; Ord. No. 22-1233, 10-11-2022]
A.
Except for properly licensed veterinary treatment facilities, no cattle, horses, sheep, goats, hogs or any other livestock except chicken hens, shall be kept or permitted within the corporate limits of the City, and it shall be unlawful for the owner or person in charge of any such livestock to maintain the same within the City limits or permit them to be therein, either confined or running at large on private property, public streets or grounds within the City limits, and any such owner or person in charge of any of said livestock who shall permit the same to be within the City limits shall be guilty of an ordinance violation with a fine as set forth in Section 100.220.
B.
In
all Residential Zoning Districts and dwellings, the occupants of a
dwelling unit may keep for personal use only, a maximum of six (6)
chicken hens. The St. James R-1 School District may possess up to
twenty (20) chicken hens, on school district property only, if any
such chicken hens are maintained for educational purposes and the
St. James R-1 School District complies with the following conditions:
1.
Slaughter may occur, provided that it is conducted in a sanitary
manner, does not generate noise that creates a nuisance, and is not
visible from adjacent properties or any public area or right-of-way.
2.
Chickens shall be always kept in a secured enclosure or fenced area.
Chickens shall be secured within a henhouse or chicken tractor during
non-daylight hours.
4.
Enclosures shall be kept in a clean, dry, odor-free, neat, and sanitary
condition at all times.
5.
Henhouses, chicken tractors and chicken pens shall provide adequate
ventilation and adequate sun and shade and shall be impermeable to
rodents, wild birds and predators including dogs and cats.
6.
Henhouses and chicken tractors shall be designed to provide safe
and healthy living conditions for the chickens while minimizing adverse
impacts to nearby businesses or residents in the neighborhood.
7.
A henhouse or chicken tractor shall be enclosed on all sides and
shall have a roof and doors. Access doors shall be able to be shut
and locked at night. Openings, windows, and vents shall be covered
with predator and bird proof wire of less than one-inch openings.
a.
A roof constructed of standard building materials. A tarpaulin is
not allowed.
b.
Walls constructed of wood or metal which are no taller than six (6)
feet in height.
c.
A non-porous floor in the henhouse or chicken tractor of plastic
or concrete, covered with straw or wood shavings.
d.
The chicken run shall have a dirt floor.
8.
Henhouses, chicken tractors, and chicken pens shall only be located
to the defined (Section 405. 020) rear of the property.
9.
Henhouses, chicken tractors, and chicken pens shall be located at
least twenty-five (25) feet from any adjacent residential dwelling,
church, or place of business.
10.
Any enclosed chicken pen shall consist of sturdy wire or wooden fencing.
The pen shall be covered with wire, aviary netting, or solid roofing.
11.
Odors from chickens, chicken manure, or other chicken related substances
shall not be detectable at the property boundary.
12.
The chicken owner shall take necessary action to reduce the attraction
of predators and rodents and the potential infestation of insects
and parasites. Chickens found to be infested with insects and parasites
that may result in unhealthy conditions to human habitation may be
removed by City representative.
13.
Chickens shall have access to feed and clean water at all times.
The feed and water shall be unavailable to rodents, wild birds, and
predators.
14.
All stored manure shall be covered by a fully enclosed structure
with a roof or lid over the entire structure. No more than three (3)
cubic feet of manure shall be stored. All other manure not used for
composting or fertilizing shall be removed. The henhouse chicken tractor,
chicken pen, and surrounding area shall be kept free from trash and
accumulated droppings.
15.
No dog or cat which kills a chicken, shall, for that reason alone,
be considered a dangerous or aggressive animal.
16.
Chickens shall not be slaughtered at any location on the property
where the slaughtering may be observed from another property or a
street or alley.
17.
All waste resulting from the slaughtering of chickens must be disposed
of so as not to create a threat to public health and safety, and not
produce obnoxious or foul odors or create a public nuisance.
18.
A building permit must be obtained though the City prior to construction
or installation of the chicken coop, pen or chicken tractor.
C.
Enforcement
of this Code is the responsibility of the Code Enforcement officer
or other designated executive of the City and violation of this Code
shall be considered a nuisance and each day that a nuisance shall
be maintained shall constitute a separate offence and upon conviction
thereof shall be punished as provided in the Code of the City of St.
James and the laws of this State.
[CC 1985 §§ 4-2 — 4-5; Ord. No. 158 §§ 2—5, 3-5-1956]
A.
Any
duly authorized Law Enforcement Officer may impound any animal found
outside of the owned or rented property of the owner or custodian
of such animal when such animal shows evidence of neglect or abuse.
Any animal impounded pursuant to this Section shall be:
1.
If the owner can be ascertained and the animal is not diseased or
disabled beyond recovery for any useful purpose, held for recovery
by the owner. The owner shall be notified within five (5) business
days of impoundment by phone or by mail of the animal's location and
recovery procedures. The animal shall be held for ten (10) business
days. An animal unclaimed after ten (10) business days may be put
up for adoption or humanely killed;
2.
Placed in the care or custody of a veterinarian, the appropriate
animal control authority or animal shelter. The animal shall not be
disposed of, unless diseased or disabled beyond recovery for any useful
purpose, until after expiration of a minimum of five (5) business
days, during which time the public shall have clear access to inspect
or recover the animal through time periods ordinarily accepted as
usual business hours. After five (5) business days, the animal may
be put up for adoption or humanely killed; or
3.
If diseased or disabled beyond recovery for any useful purpose as
determined by a public health official, law enforcement official,
veterinarian or animal control officer, humanely killed.
B.
The
owner or custodian of an animal impounded pursuant to this Section
shall be liable for reasonable costs for the care and maintenance
of the animal. Any person incurring reasonable costs for the care
and maintenance of such animal shall have a lien against such animal
until the reasonable costs have been paid and may put up for adoption
or humanely kill any animal if such costs are not paid within ten
(10) days after demand. Any moneys received for an animal adopted
pursuant to this Subsection in excess of costs shall be paid to the
owner of such animal.
[CC 1985 § 4-6; 1977 Code; Ord. No. 26 § 11, 11-17-1937]
If any person shall beat, injure, or treat any animal in immoderate, cruel and unnecessary manner, he/she shall be deemed guilty of an offense. (For penalty see Section 100.220.)
[CC 1985 § 4-7; Ord. No. 633, 3-6-2000]
A.
No person shall own, keep, harbor, or allow
to be in or upon his/her premises any animal which by howling, barking,
baying or yelping, shall disturb the peace of any person. Nor shall
any person own, keep, harbor, or allow to be in or upon his/her premises
any animal of dangerous, vicious, or ferocious disposition. A dangerous,
vicious, or ferocious animal shall be an animal that has attacked
or shown propensities to attack persons or other animal. Evidence
that may be considered includes, but is not limited to, testimony
of persons who have witnessed the actual behavior of said animals,
past incidents involving said animals, size of the animals and the
conditions in which the animals are kept.
