Backyard Chickens in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Can you keep chickens in Brooklyn Center?

Brooklyn Center welcomes backyard chicken keepers! Since a 2018 ordinance change, residents in one- and two-family homes can keep up to 6 hens (no roosters) in a proper coop and run — no permit required. Just follow the city's setback, size, and coop-construction rules to keep your flock happy, legal, and safe through Minnesota's cold winters.

Yes – with conditions

Yes. Brooklyn Center amended its city ordinance in October 2018 to allow backyard chickens on residential one- and two-family (R1 and R2 district) properties. Hens are permitted, but roosters are prohibited, and a maximum of 6 hens may be kept per property. No municipal permit or registration is currently required to keep chickens, though the city notes that coops exceeding 30 square feet are classified as accessory buildings, which may trigger separate building permit requirements under the construction code.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: 6
Roosters: No
Permit required: No
Permit cost: Not specified
Setback from property line: 30 ft.

Peggy knows Brooklyn Center

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

The Brooklyn Center ordinance imposes the following coop/run and operational requirements:

A coop AND a run are both required
Combined coop and run area cannot exceed 120 square feet, with a maximum height of 6 feet
Must be located entirely in the rear yard
Must be set back at least 5 feet from all lot lines and 30 feet from adjacent dwellings
Coop must be fully enclosed to keep chickens in and wild/migratory birds out, and must be winterized
Coop must use architecturally appropriate exterior-grade siding and a metal, composite, or shingled roof
Coops exceeding 30 square feet are classified as an accessory building (subject to building code/permit review)
Run must be fully enclosed with fencing/mesh no larger than 1 inch, including overhead netting to exclude predators
Chickens must be secured inside the coop at night and may never run at large
No slaughtering, fighting, or breeding of chickens, and no commercial sale of eggs
Feed must be stored in leak-proof, rodent-resistant containers and nuisance odors must be prevented
Renters must obtain written permission from the property owner before keeping chickens

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Brooklyn Center

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 5a (previously 4b)

Brooklyn Center sits in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area and has a humid continental climate with cold, snowy winters and warm, humid summers. The city falls in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a, with average extreme minimum winter temperatures of -20°F to -15°F, meaning coops must be well-insulated and winterized to protect flocks through the cold season — a requirement explicitly built into the city's coop rules.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkFoxOpossumCoyoteWeasel

Urban and suburban Twin Cities flocks commonly face raccoons, red-tailed hawks, red foxes, opossums, coyotes, and weasels. The city's requirement for fully enclosed coops and runs with small-gauge mesh and overhead netting directly addresses these predator risks, especially aerial attacks from hawks and digging/climbing predators like raccoons and foxes.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, Australorp, Orpington, Brahma — all 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 Brooklyn Center

▸How many hens can I keep in Brooklyn Center?

Up to 6 hens are allowed on single- or two-family (R1 or R2 zoned) residential properties.

▸Are roosters allowed in Brooklyn Center?

No. Roosters are explicitly prohibited under the city's backyard chicken ordinance.

▸Do I need a permit to keep chickens?

No city permit or registration is required to keep hens, though coops larger than 30 square feet are treated as accessory structures, which may require a separate building permit.

▸How far must my coop be from my neighbor's house?

The coop and run must be set back at least 5 feet from all property lines and at least 30 feet from any adjacent dwelling, and must be located entirely in the rear yard.

▸Can I sell eggs or slaughter chickens at home?

No. The ordinance prohibits commercial egg sales as well as on-site slaughtering, fighting, or breeding of chickens.

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