Backyard chickens in Grants Pass, Oregon

Yes — hens are allowed inside Grants Pass city limits. The Grants Pass Municipal Code regulates poultry primarily through its animal-nuisance chapter rather than a dedicated "backyard chicken" ordinance. Title 5, Chapter 5.04 (Animal Nuisances) makes it unlawful to let poultry run at large or to maintain unsanitary conditions such as a pigsty, and provides for impoundment of any poultry found running loose in the city (§5.04.030, §5.04.040).

The Municipal Code text itself does not spell out a specific numeric hen cap in the sections we were able to review. However, multiple independent chicken-keeping guides and long-time local poultry keepers consistently report that the City has historically allowed up to about 5 hens per residential property, prohibits roosters in city zones, requires chickens to be kept in a secure enclosure, and may require a permit once the coop/enclosure exceeds a certain square footage. Properties zoned agricultural or rural-residential outside the standard city limits reportedly support larger flocks and roosters. Because the codified nuisance chapter does not itself list these numeric details, we recommend confirming current specifics with the City of Grants Pass Planning Division before building a coop.

Grants Pass sits in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, which has hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Summer days are sunny, dry and hot, with dramatic cooling at night; the average August high temperature is 90.6 °F (32.6 °C) and the low is 54.9 °F (12.7 °C). Winters are cool and fairly rainy, with only occasional snow; the average January high temperature is 47.6 °F (8.7 °C) and the low is 35.3 °F (1.8 °C). Grants Pass receives roughly 31 inches (790 mm) precipitation per year, with three-quarters of it occurring between November 1 and March 31. Extreme heat can occur; the record high temperature of 115 °F (46 °C) was on July 4, 2022, so coops need excellent summer ventilation and shade as well as protection from winter rain and damp bedding.

Southern Oregon's mix of riverside habitat, oak woodland, and residential/rural interface around Grants Pass supports a range of chicken predators. Raccoons and coyotes are commonly cited as the biggest ground-level threats to backyard flocks in the region, with skunks and opossums also raiding coops and eggs. Hawks (including red-tailed hawks) are a daytime aerial threat, while bobcats become a concern on properties closer to wooded or rural terrain outside the city core. Buried hardware-cloth fencing and fully enclosed, covered runs are strongly recommended.