Farmegg Products, Inc. v. Humboldt County

Do large mechanized chicken houses in which chickens are raised from small chicks to laying hens constitute buildings “primarily adapted, by reason of nature and area, for use for agricultural purposes”? Such 'is the question posed by this county zoning case.

We may put aside cases involving poultry houses as nuisances, such as Higgins v. Decorah Produce Co., 214 Iowa 276, 242 N.W. 109. No such charge is made here.

Plaintiff Farmegg Products owns a tract of land in Humboldt County, Iowa, outside of any city or town. Farmegg proposes to construct two poultry houses on the tract, and the…