Backyard Chickens in Moorhead, Minnesota

Can you keep chickens in Moorhead?

Thinking about keeping hens in Moorhead, Minnesota? Since 2023, the city has allowed backyard chickens with a simple, affordable permit process. Here's exactly what the ordinance requires so your flock stays happy, legal, and safe through the Red River Valley's tough winters.

Yes – with conditions

Yes. Moorhead permits backyard chickens under Moorhead Municipal Code § 3-7-10(B), which states that it is unlawful to keep chickens without a city permit, but allows permitted keeping at single and two-family homes, including those in mixed-use districts. Properties with three or more residential dwelling units, or zoned commercial, institutional, or industrial, may not keep chickens. Roosters are explicitly prohibited: 'The keeping or harboring of male chickens or roosters is prohibited' (§ 3-7-10(B)). Chickens may be slaughtered on-site only if out of public view and for consumption by the occupants, and breeding is not addressed but slaughtering is expressly limited. A Tier I permit covers 1-6 chickens on any qualifying property, while a Tier II permit allows 7-12 chickens, but only on RLD-1 (Residential Low Density-1) zoned lots of one acre or more.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: 6
Roosters: No
Permit required: Yes
Permit cost: $10
Setback from property line: 10 ft.

Peggy knows Moorhead

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Per § 3-7-10(B)(3) and the city's official chicken permit packet:

Setbacks: Coop and run must be set back 10 feet from property lines and 3 feet from on-site structures; may not be located in the front yard (beyond the front façade of the house), in easements, or inside a dwelling or garage.
Size: Coop must provide a minimum of 4 sq ft and maximum of 10 sq ft per chicken; run must provide a minimum of 15 sq ft per chicken, with a 200 sq ft run cap (no cap for RLD-1 lots of 1+ acre).
Height: Coop/run may not exceed 7 feet.
Materials: Must be predator-proof, constructed of durable, rodent-resistant materials; runs must be fully enclosed with non-opaque material like chicken wire; plywood, particle board, unfinished metal, tarps, and snow fencing are prohibited.
Fencing/Screening: Yard or coop/run perimeter fencing required (6-ft solid fence, or 4-6 ft light-permeable fence with landscaping screening) unless on an RLD-1 lot, which is exempt from this requirement.
Confinement: Chickens must be secured in the coop from sunset to sunrise; they may free-range in a fenced yard between sunrise and sunset with adult supervision, but may never run at large.
Sanitation: Feed must be stored in animal-proof containers; bedding must be clean and changed frequently; manure must be removed frequently or the permit can be revoked for odor/nuisance issues.
Permit/Application: Requires a $10 annual fee (renewed each calendar year, non-prorated), a scaled site plan showing coop/run location, setbacks, fencing, and property lines, and review of any applicable neighborhood covenants (the city does not enforce private covenants).
Removal: If a permit lapses or is revoked, any coop/run structure must be removed within 10 days to 30 days depending on circumstance.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Moorhead

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 4a

Moorhead sits in the Red River Valley of northwestern Minnesota and experiences a harsh continental climate with long, bitterly cold winters (often well below 0°F) and warm, humid summers. Chicken keepers need cold-hardy breeds and well-insulated, draft-free coops with protection from wind, plus attention to summer heat and humidity.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonFoxHawkSkunkWeasel

In Moorhead's mix of urban and semi-rural surroundings along the Red River, raccoons, foxes, hawks, skunks, and weasels are common threats to backyard flocks. The city's ordinance requires coops and runs to be 'predator-proof' and constructed of durable materials, with runs fully enclosed using non-opaque wire to keep aerial and ground predators out.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Orpington, Chantecler, Australorp

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

Questions people ask about Moorhead

▸How many chickens can I keep in Moorhead?

Most residential properties qualify for a Tier I permit allowing 1-6 chickens. Larger RLD-1 zoned lots of one acre or more can apply for a Tier II permit allowing 7-12 chickens.

▸Are roosters allowed in Moorhead?

No. Moorhead's ordinance specifically states that 'the keeping or harboring of male chickens or roosters is prohibited.'

▸How much does a Moorhead chicken permit cost?

The annual permit fee is $10, valid from January 1 through December 31 each year (fees are not pro-rated if purchased later in the year).

▸How far must a coop be from my property line?

Coops and runs must be set back at least 10 feet from property lines and at least 3 feet from any on-site structures, and cannot be placed in the front yard, an easement, or inside a dwelling or garage.

▸Can I keep chickens if I live in an apartment or commercial zone?

No. Properties with three or more residential dwelling units, or zoned commercial, industrial, institutional, or other mixed-use (apart from single/two-family homes in mixed-use districts), are prohibited from keeping chickens.

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