Can I keep chickens in Canton Township?

Only in the Rural Agricultural district. RA permits general and specialized farming by right, including the raising of livestock, poultry, and bees (Section 9.02.A.2), on the district's 40 acre lots.

Everywhere else the use lists do not include poultry keeping. RE and RR take their principal uses from the single-family list (Section 10.02.A; Section 11.02.A), which covers dwellings, parks, day care, and accessory uses, not farm animals; their special land use lists offer stables and kennels but not poultry (Section 10.02.B). R-1 through R-5 have no livestock entries at all, and a chicken coop is an accessory structure that may not support a use the district does not permit (Section 2.02; Section 2.03).

Related animal rules that do exist: private stables are permitted in RA and available as special land uses in RE, RR, and R-1 (Section 6.02.X), electrified livestock fencing is allowed only in RA, RR, RE, and R-1 where horses or livestock are lawfully kept (Section 2.20.D.4), and feedlots in RA carry 1,000 foot spacing from residential parcels (Section 9.02.B.5).

This is a reading of what the use lists omit rather than an express ban, so if a backyard coop matters to you, ask Planning Services at 734-394-5170 whether any amendment is in progress.