Backyard chickens in Walker, Michigan

Yes. The City of Walker permits backyard chickens on residential property, subject to standards adopted by the City Commission and now codified at City Code Section 94-15.07(B) – Backyard Chickens (originally enacted as Sec. 94-359 by Ordinance No. 17-638).

Under the ordinance, a parcel must be at least 0.5 acres in size to keep chickens, no more than five (5) chickens may be kept on any parcel, and roosters (chickens that crow) are not permitted. Outdoor slaughtering of chickens is prohibited.

Residents must register their flock with the City by submitting a Zoning Permit Application and passing a site inspection of the completed coop and screening before keeping hens.

Walker, Michigan (Kent County) sits in the Grand Rapids metro area and experiences a humid continental climate with cold, snowy winters (lake-effect snow common) and warm, humid summers. Coops should be insulated or well-ventilated with wind-blocking on the north/west side, and roofs should have enough pitch to shed heavy snow loads.

West Michigan backyards bordering wooded or semi-rural areas around Walker commonly see raccoons, red foxes, coyotes, opossums, and birds of prey such as red-tailed hawks. Since Walker's ordinance requires coops to be enclosed on all sides and from above, a fully covered run with hardware cloth (not chicken wire) buried at the perimeter offers the best protection against digging and climbing predators.