If I'm reading the story correctly, Garden City does have an ordinance that prohibits "farm" animals, a common one for cities. I have no idea where the criminal case comes from [[it's a zoning issue) and I'm not a lawyer, but the Michigan Right to Farm act does NOT trump local zoning ordinances, so if he's operating a chicken operation in an area zoned residential, and was so zoned before he got his chickens, he's in violation.

Right To Farm acts in general have been set up to protect farmers in areas where residential areas have encroched on farming areas. For example, if a housing development buts up on an apple orchard, the residents can't sue because the orchardist is spraying his orchard at 3 in the morning, a common practice.

As to Danny's point, chickens DO smell if not taken care of. In a town near here, they passed an ordinance allowing urban chickens, and the back fence neighbor of my mother in law had a half a dozen of them. He didn't do proper cleanup, and her back yard was nearly unusable.

There's an interesting summary of court cases involving the Right To Farm law and lawsuits surrounding it done my Michigan State University. It might shed some light on the subject.

http://lu.msue.msu.edu/pamphlet/Blaw...01964-2006.pdf