KAYSVILLE—In the past 20 years or so, it hasn’t been uncommon to see chickens or even ducks in residential areas. Once relegated to the barnyard, these functional fowl have become a popular backyard addition, providing not just animal companionship, but a steady food source as well. 

Of course, like any animal, it’s important to ensure that they are comfortable, and have enough space to not just survive but to thrive. That’s why, for so many years, these animals were only seen on farms, or in rural areas, but recently, studies have shown that chickens and ducks both need a surprisingly and relatively small area to be happy. 

Such were the findings that led to a recent ordinance amendment proposal in Kaysville this week. Proposed initially by a Kaysville resident living in a twin home, independent research was conducted by the city, which found that the current city ordinance, which restricted lot size to 8,000 square feet and up, was too large.

The proposed amendment reduced the size of the required lot down to 4,000 feet, with a minimum of 500 square feet required for the animals in question, specifically “fowl, rabbits, or similar animals,” as per the ordinance. These proposals were accepted by the Kaysville City Planning Commission and sent to the City Council for approval.

Overall, the City Council was extremely impressed with the proposal, “I noticed that this first came to the city around Easter time, and it was a little bit suspect because a lot of people get ducks, and bunnies at that time of year.” said City Councilman Nate Jackson. “But when I read further on down, the purpose is that you want to rescue some domestic ducks that have been put into the pond. I think That’s pretty commendable.”

After some brief discussion as to what this amendment would mean concerning homeowners associations, which will still have the power to enforce their own rules in regards to fowl, the City Council brought the question to a vote, which passed unanimously. This will extend the opportunity to many residents of Kaysville to be able to have chickens, ducks, rabbits, or similar animals on their smaller properties.