Chickens

Don’t forget to dress your chickens up for Halloween!

Here is your checklist if you are interested in Urban Chickens. 

 City of Nashua 

Planning & Zoning 603 589-3090 

Fax 603 589-3119 

WEB www.nashuanh.gov

Planning Department 

229 Main Street 

Nashua, New Hampshire 03061-2019 

CHICKEN AND COOP REQUIREMENTS 

STANDARDS 

Chickens shall be kept in accordance with all applicable City Ordinances and regulations, and state laws, including but not limited to RSA 644:8, Cruelty to Animals. 

A maximum of six (6) adult female chickens may be kept on a lot. Roosters are prohibited. 

The keeping of chickens shall be in a separate structure, accessory to and on the premises of a single-family or two-family detached dwelling. Chickens are for personal use only. 

No person shall sell eggs or breed chickens, or engage in commercial activities related to chickens. 

Chickens shall not roam free. Chickens shall be housed in a coop during non-daylight hours. 

Coops and enclosed runs must be located in side or rear yards, and cannot be located within twenty (20) feet of a property line. 

Feed must be stored in rodent proof containers. 

Stored manure shall be covered and fully enclosed. Up to three (3) cubic feet of manure can be stored. 

All manure not used for composting or fertilizing, waste material (including but not limited to spent feed, litter, and waste eggs), and dead chickens shall be properly and promptly removed from the property. 

Coop and enclosed run must not disturb neighboring lots due to noise, odor, or other adverse impacts. 

Coops and enclosed runs shall comply with all zoning requirements, including but not limited to: Accessory Use, Open Space Percentage, Wetland buffers, and Floodplains. 

COOP REQUIREMENTS 

Space with Enclosed Run: A minimum of three (3) square feet of floor space per chicken 

Space without Enclosed Run: A minimum of ten (10) square feet of floor space per chicken 

Total Coop and Run Space = Ten (10) square feet per chicken 

COOP REQUIREMENTS (continued) 

One (1) foot of roost space off the floor per chicken. 

Height shall be a maximum of eight (8) feet from the ground to top of the structure. 

Coop must provide adequate ventilation and be kept in neat and sanitary condition. 

ENCLOSED RUN REQUIREMENTS 

Enclosure: Run must be bound on all sides and overhead by fence, cage, or wire. 

Attachment: Run enclosure must be attached to the coop. 

Height: shall be a maximum of eight (8) feet from the ground to top of the structure. 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE 

1. Submit a completed Building and Land Use Application to the Community Development Division at City Hall. 

2. Attach a plot plan showing the location and dimensions of the coop and enclosed run, property boundaries, location of all existing buildings, structures, paved areas, wetlands, and proposed buildings, structures, and paving. (sample attached) 

Plot Plan shall be to scale, not reduced or enlarged when copied. 

3. After the plan is reviewed for compliance, pay the $25.00 application fee.

SAMPLE COOP PLAN