Life In Idaho

The long debate over chickens has made another turn.  At the December Rathdrum City Council meeting the council voted it was now O.K. to have up to 10 chickens within the city limits!  The city council took the chicken/egg raising right away a couple years ago.  There was a lot of debate around town at that time.  Perhaps because not everyone who had chickens was a respectful chicken owner. 

But a very persuasive 10 year Rathdrum girl, Allyson Chatterton, got the city council to put it back on the agenda.  She is involved in 4-H and wants to raise chickens for her project.  There aren’t too many animals you can raise in town as a 4-H member.  And after debate and a lack of problems cited with urban chicken raising in Post Falls or Coeur d’Alene,  the city council decided to give back the right to be a chicken owner to Rathdrum residents.

There are a few rules in respect to having chickens in town:

• You can have no more than 10 chickens on lots less than an acre.
• No roosters allowed
• The chickens must have a shelter
• There will be a setback required for the chicken shelter.