Backyard Chickens in Blaine, Minnesota

Can you keep chickens in Blaine?

Blaine, Minnesota — once sod-farm country on the northern edge of the Twin Cities — now welcomes backyard hens in its single-family neighborhoods. Since the city council's 2015 ordinance change, residents in RE, R-1, R-1AA, R-1A, and R-1B zoning districts can keep up to six hens (no roosters) with a simple one-time city registration.

Yes – with conditions

Yes. Backyard hens are a permitted accessory use in Blaine's single-family and residential-estate zoning districts under the city's Zoning Ordinance standards for "Rear Yard Chickens" (Blaine Zoning Ordinance §33.22 / City Code Ch. 129, Art. II, §129-20).

Backyard chickens are allowed as an accessory use in the following zoning districts: RE (Residential Estate), R-1 (Single Family), R-1AA (Single Family), R-1A (Single Family), R-1B (Single Family). Not more than six (6) hens are allowed. No roosters are allowed. A one-time registration/permit with the city is required before any birds or coop are placed on the property.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: 6
Roosters: No
Permit required: Yes
Permit cost: $45
Setback from property line: 30 ft.

Peggy knows Blaine

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

All chicken operations must be registered by the property owner with the city prior to placement, and the city council establishes a fee for the one-time registration.
Registration process consists of a site and building plan with location and specifics of coop, pen or run, and coop setbacks.
Coop (and covered run) is limited to not more than sixty (60) square feet.
Shelters or coops shall be in the rear yard only and located at least five (5) feet from side or rear lot lines.
Shelters or coops shall be at least thirty (30) feet from an adjacent home (living space).
All runs must be fenced unless the entire rear yard is fenced, and chickens are not allowed to run free.
Chicken waste must be removed from the coop so as not to cause a nuisance and be properly disposed of or composted.
Slaughtering and processing of the chickens must be done off-site.
Structure must be removed and site restored if keeping of chickens is discontinued for more than twelve (12) months.
Please check with your association as chickens may not be permitted in your development — HOA management sign-off is required before placement in a managed community.
Registration is required and a one-time fee of $45. (Note: the city's online chicken-permit application page lists a $65 upload-stage fee elsewhere in its step-by-step tool, but the final "Review and Payment" step and the city's official Residential Guide both confirm a one-time $45 fee — contact Planning at 763-785-6180 to verify current fee before applying.)

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Blaine

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 4b/5a

Blaine sits in the Minneapolis-St. Paul north metro and experiences a humid continental climate with cold, snowy winters (regularly below 0°F) and warm, humid summers. Coops need solid insulation, draft-free but ventilated housing, heated waterers in winter, and shade/ventilation in summer to protect hens from both extreme cold and heat.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkFoxCoyoteOpossum

Blaine's mix of wooded wetlands, parks, and suburban edges supports healthy populations of raccoons, red foxes, coyotes, opossums, and birds of prey such as red-tailed hawks, all of which readily target unprotected backyard flocks. A fully enclosed, hardware-cloth-covered run (required by the city's rule that runs must be fenced unless the whole rear yard is fenced) combined with a secure, predator-proof coop door is essential.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte, Buff Orpington, Chantecler (cold-hardy, dual-purpose breeds well suited to Minnesota winters)

Our package comes with two Rhode Island Reds – hardy in heat and cold, and friendly with kids.

Questions people ask about Blaine

▸How many chickens can I keep in Blaine, MN?

Not more than six (6) hens are allowed. No roosters are allowed.

▸Do I need a permit to keep chickens in Blaine?

Yes. All chicken operations must be registered by the property owner with the city prior to placement. The registration involves submitting a site and building plan showing the coop, run, and setbacks.

▸How close to the property line or my neighbor's house can my coop be?

Shelters or coops shall be in the rear yard only and located at least five (5) feet from side or rear lot lines. Shelters or coops shall be at least thirty (30) feet from an adjacent home (living space).

▸Can I have roosters in Blaine?

No. No roosters are allowed.

▸What happens if I stop keeping chickens?

Structure must be removed and site restored if keeping of chickens is discontinued for more than twelve (12) months.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Blaine or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked October 4, 2026.