Lexington limits roosters to one per household after complaints about rowdy fowls

It will be sun down for some Lexington roosters come Nov. 1.

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council approved an ordinance Thursday that limits the number of roosters to one per household for those living inside the city’s growth boundary.

The new ordinance also ups the fines for those who keep restricted animals from $5 per animal per day to $100 per animal per day. Those restricted animals include those who keep more than one rooster or are owners of hogs, pigs or goats.

The city already prohibits pigs, hogs and goats inside the urban service boundary.

Increasing fines for noisy, rowdy animals

In addition to increasing fines for prohibited animals, the proposed changes would also increase fines for noisy animals to up to $100 per animal, per day.

That means even if someone has only one rooster, but it continually and repeatedly makes noise, a homeowner can still be fined, council members have said.

The Fayette County Attorney’s office currently oversees the prohibited and noisy animal ordinance.

That office would continue to do so under the amended ordinance, which takes effect Nov. 1.

Councilwoman Amy Beasley, who represents the 8th Council District, said during an Aug. 26 Social Service and Public Safety meeting she has one constituent whose backyard neighbor has 12 roosters. Beasley sponsored the new ordinance. The 8th Council District includes neighborhoods around the Tates Creek schools campus on Centre Parkway.

Roosters are very territorial, Beasley said. If there is more than one on the same piece of land, they will crow at each other all day. That’s why the one rooster per household limit is needed, Beasley said.

Other council members said they, too, have heard more complaints about rowdy, loud roosters in recent years as more people have turned to raising chickens to combat escalating egg prices. Some cities and counties have begun to ban chickens and roosters inside city limits.

Some who spoke on Thursday prior to the council’s vote encouraged the council not to approve the ordinance.

Kelley Wheeler said not all roosters are aggressive. Forcing rooster owners who have more than one rooster to choose between the animals is cruel, she said.

“This would be so disheartening to them,” Wheeler said.

The limit of one rooster per household only applies to residential and business zones. It does not apply to agricultural land.

Two council member voted against the ordinance: Whitney Elliott Baxter and Emma Curtis.

This story was originally published September 12, 2025 at 7:22 AM.

Beth Musgrave

Lexington Herald-Leader

Beth Musgrave has covered government and politics for the Herald-Leader for more than a decade. A graduate of Northwestern University, she has worked as a reporter in Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois and Washington D.C. Support my work with a digital subscription