BRIGHTON — Residents interested in keeping backyard hens and honeybees can get their coops and hives set up before summer now that City Council has approved new regulations for urban farmers.
Up to six hens (and ducks) and are now allowed outside single-family homes, and anywhere from one to eight hives can be placed on private property (depending on the homeowner’s land size).
Both bees and chickens are also allowed in some parks and open space properties.
The city will not require homeowners to get permits or permission from their neighbors to bring home chickens or bees, but bee hives in particular must be set back at least 15 feet from the front of a property line, preferably in the backyard or side yard areas.
At a recent council meeting, Community Development Director Holly Prather said having hives “out in the front yard could create a potential conflict with people walking by. We’re not requiring it to be fenced off … but (the city needs to) make sure it doesn’t become a nuisance and that small children and dogs don’t interact with the hive.”
According to the code, new beekeepers must build the hive off the ground and have a water source nearby. Flyways are recommended, but not required.
A flyway is a six-foot-tall fence, wall, or thick hedge that directs the path of the bee up and out of the property. The hive must also be oriented to face in towards the property so that the bees have a 10-foot clear flight path in front of the hive.
In general, properties that are a half acre or smaller can have a maximum of two hives and properties that are larger than 1 acre can have up to eight hives. People who place hives more than 200 feet from any property line can have as many as they want.
The rules for chicken keeping are basic: Keep the coop clean and sanitary, make sure the birds have food and fresh water must be maintained and kept in rodent proof containers.
If a homeowner is planning to construct, expand or install heat lights on a coop, he or she needs to go through the applicable building permit process.
On-site slaughter of hens is allowed in Brighton, but it has to be done away from public view.
“We have had calls about whether or not people can slaughter in their yards,” Prather said. “As a religious practice, we don’t regulate it, so it can definitely happen for other purposes.”
Any animal violations should be reported to the Animal Control Division of the Brighton Police Department.
Megan Mitchell: 303-954-2650, mmitchell@denverpost.com or
