Home » News » Wega-Fremont News » Fremont votes for chickens

Fremont votes for chickens

Village repeals residential prohibition

By Angie Landsverk


Residents in the village of Fremont may now keep up to four chickens in their yards.

When the village board met on Tuesday, Dec. 8, it repealed the section of its municipal code that previously did not allow residents to have chickens in residential districts.

It then recreated a new section of the code to allow residents to have chickens in residential districts of the village.
The amended ordinance took effect on Dec. 9, following its posting.

There are stipulations.

• The principal use of the property has to be a single family dwelling.

• The maximum number of chickens a person may have is four.

• Roosters are not allowed.

• There has to be a shelter for the chickens, with a minimum of three square feet per chicken.

• A fenced in place for the chickens to run must also be provided, with a minimum of five square feet per chicken.

• All chicken coops and pen areas must be set back at least 10 feet from side and rear property lines and at least 25 feet from adjacent principal residential structures.

• Chickens may not be slaughtered in the village.

• An annual $25 permit is required for the keeping of chickens. The permit, valid from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, may be obtained from the village clerk.

The discussion about amending the ordinance began a couple months ago.

“I was talking to (Village Clerk) Dawn (Krause) about something else one day. She mentioned residents were asking about it,” said Village Trustee Jeremiah Kiecker.

Members of the village’s Ordinance/Recycling Committee looked at ordinances from about 10 different municipalities, he said.

That is how the committee came up with the list of stipulations for Fremont’s ordinance.

Kiecker said it will be nice for those with children to now be able to raise chickens in the village.

“It gives them a little responsibility,” he said of the children.

In other business on Dec. 8, Village President Dan Sambs set the date for the village caucus.

The caucus will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12.

The trustees who are up for re-election in April are Kiecker, Jim Falke and Steve Van Lyssel.

Scroll to Top