Backyard chickens in Sandy, Utah

Yes, backyard chickens are allowed in Sandy City. Under the city's current animal ordinance (Title 12, Animal Services), chickens may be kept for familial gain from the production and consumption of eggs, and chickens are allowed on any property containing a single-family detached residence. A maximum of 6 chickens is allowed per property, and roosters and crowing hens are prohibited. Enclosures are subject to review and approval by animal control, and all chickens must be licensed. The city treats chickens separately from both ordinary household pets and from livestock kept in Rural Residential zones, and there are no additional allowances for chickens or roosters in RR zones. A 2023 city staff comparison confirmed that Sandy does not allow roosters as household pets because they are defined as farm animals.

Sandy sits at roughly 4,450 feet elevation along the Wasatch Front, with hot, dry summers (highs often in the 90s°F) and cold, snowy winters (lows frequently in the teens or single digits°F). Coops should be insulated and ventilated to handle both summer heat and winter cold, with wind-blocking on the coop's north/west sides for winter storms coming off the mountains.

Sandy's foothill and canyon-adjacent neighborhoods near the Wasatch Mountains put backyard flocks at risk from raccoons, foxes, coyotes, skunks, and birds of prey such as red-tailed hawks. A fully enclosed, hardware-cloth-covered run and a secure, predator-proof coop door are strongly recommended.