How are backyard chicken laws different in Austin, TX vs Dallas, TX?
Can I keep backyard chickens?
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Reviewed answer
Can I keep backyard chickens?
Austin, TX
Reviewed
Austin, TX city rule
Yes, you may keep chickens in Austin if you follow the city's enclosure, distance, and property-specific requirements.
Austin requires chickens to be kept in a secure enclosure with four sides and an overhead cover. The enclosure must be at least 30 feet from an adjacent residence or business, excluding the owner’s or handler’s own residence or business, and at least 50 feet away if the birds or enclosure create a health hazard.
Yes, Dallas permits raising chickens at an urban garden, including in residential districts, as long as the garden and its structures comply with the property's zoning rules.
Dallas's published Development Code use regulations permit urban gardens in every zoning district and expressly allow them to raise chickens. In a residential district, the combined floor area of urban-garden structures may not exceed 10% of the lot, no single structure may exceed 200 square feet, and all structures must follow the district's yard, lot, and space rules.
Educational information only. Verify current rules with the linked official source. Taxing boundaries, zoning overlays, and the facts of a specific situation can change the result.
