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l s <br /> Zoning Code Amendments <br /> January 17,2013 <br /> Page 5 <br /> Staff is not prepared to recommend a specific number of chickens that should be allowed per <br /> acre or for a given lot size or `pasture' acreage at this time, nor are we prepared to recommend a <br /> specific revision to the number of chickens that comprise an animal unit. However, in order to <br /> make progress toward establishing a new standard for how many chickens is correct for a given <br /> property,it may be necessary to consider a number of questions, such as: <br /> 1) Do we want to place severe restrictions on chickens for any property less than 2 acres in <br /> total area,within those zones where animals are allowed? <br /> 2) Do we want to relate the nuxnber of chickens to available pasture area, or to other site- <br /> specific measurable parameters (total lot area, location of chicken coop or chicken run <br /> areas relative to neighboring properties, or some other parameters)? <br /> 3) If there is support to reduce the number of chickens allowed on any property regardless <br /> of lot size, should that be through a) reducing the number of chickens that comprise an <br /> animal unit, or b)reducing the number of animal units allowed for smaller properties? <br /> Pasture Acreage for Horses <br /> The required daily feed intake for horses is approximately 2% of their body weight, so a 1000-1b <br /> horse requires 20 lbs of hay per day. Orono Code requires two acres of land devoted to pasture <br /> for one horse, and one additional acre of pasture for each additional horse. These numbers have <br /> been in the code since 1968 and appear to generally fall on the low side of Extension Service <br /> recommendations depending on the level of productivity of a given pasture area. UMN <br /> Extension suggests that one horse per two to four acres of managed pasture is needed if no <br /> supplementary feed is provided. <br /> In the absence of adequately sized or productive pasture, horse owners provide supplementary <br /> feed. Orono Code since 1968 has stated that where horses are kept stabled without requirement <br /> of pasture for feed purposes, the minimuxn pasture requirement may be reduced at the discretion <br /> of the Council. The Code provides no direction as to what factors should be taken into <br /> account in determining whether to reduce the pasture requirement, nor does it specify a <br /> process for making that decision. The Council has indicated that such factors and process <br /> should be established. <br /> A cursory aerial photo review by staff suggests there are perhaps 20-25 properties in Orono that <br /> have horses and/or the facilities in place to keep horses, although a formal inventory of <br /> properties with horses has not been attempted. A majority of these properties are in northwest <br /> Orono, and nearly all are in 2-acre and 5-acre zones. <br /> Staff would suggest that the code-required acreage for horses should not be construed as purely <br /> based on the area necessary to grow adequate forage to sustain the animals' nutrition needs. <br /> Other factors should be taken into consideration: <br /> 1) Adequate paddock area to avoid creation of a denuded ground surface as a result of <br /> grazing and trampling. <br /> 2) Sufficient area to manage manure either by active management (accumulation and <br /> disposal) or passive management (allowing it to assimilate into the soil surface) to avoid <br /> odor and water pollution problems. ' <br />