Backyard Chickens in Brownsville, Texas

Can you keep chickens in Brownsville?

Thinking about starting a backyard flock in Brownsville? The city takes a fairly hands-off approach to chicken keeping — there's no permit and no hard numeric hen limit — but a 50-foot setback rule and a noise/odor nuisance standard mean placement of your coop matters. Here's what Peggy's Happy Chickens found in the actual Brownsville municipal code.

Yes – with conditions

Yes, hens (and other domestic fowl) may be kept on residential property within the City of Brownsville. The city's Code of Ordinances does not set a numeric cap on the number of hens; instead, keeping of fowl is regulated primarily through a distance/setback rule and a general nuisance standard. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, possess or maintain within the city any rabbit, guinea pig, pigeon, chicken, turkey, goose, duck, peafowl, or any other fowl in any pen, enclosure, or other structure within 50 feet of any residence or building used for human habitation, other than that of the keeper or owner of such animal, or within 50 feet of any church, school, hospital, convalescent home, or nursing home. Such distance of 50 feet shall be measured in a straight line from the nearest point of any pen, enclosure, or other structure in which such fowl or animal is kept to the nearest point of such residence, church, school, convalescent home, or nursing home. This rule is codified at (Ord.10-63 A & B) of the City Code. Separately, a general animal nuisance provision requires that fowl (including roosters) not be kept in a way that produces noxious odors or disturbing noises that could affect their neighbors, under Sec. 10-62 of the Brownsville Code. The ordinance text itself does not contain a citywide numeric hen limit or an outright rooster ban, and secondary chicken-keeping references consistently report that chickens are allowed, roosters are allowed, and no permit is required in Brownsville.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: No Set Limit
Roosters: Yes
Permit required: No
Permit cost: Not specified
Setback from property line: 50 ft.

Peggy knows Brownsville

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Setback: Pens/enclosures for chickens and other fowl may not be located within 50 feet of any residence or building used for human habitation other than the owner's, or within 50 feet of a church, school, hospital, convalescent home, or nursing home (Ord. 10-63 A & B).
Measurement: The 50-foot distance is measured in a straight line from the nearest point of the pen/enclosure to the nearest point of the protected structure.
Nuisance standard: Under Sec. 10-62, flocks must be managed so they do not create noxious odors or disturbing noises that affect neighbors — this is the practical control on flock size and rooster crowing rather than a fixed numeric cap.
No numeric hen cap and no permit is specified in the fowl-keeping section of the Code.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Brownsville

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 9b/10a - Humid Subtropical (Rio Grande Valley)

Brownsville sits at the southern tip of Texas along the Rio Grande, giving it a humid subtropical climate with mild winters and long, very hot, humid summers. Coops need excellent shade, cross-ventilation, and constant cool water access to prevent heat stress, since summer heat index values regularly exceed 100°F. Predator-proofing is also important given the semi-tropical brush habitat surrounding much of the metro area.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkSnakeOpossumCoyote

Backyard flocks in the Brownsville area should be secured against raccoons and opossums, which are common nighttime coop raiders, as well as hawks that patrol the open brushland and agricultural fields surrounding the city. Rat snakes and other snakes are drawn to feed and eggs, and coyotes are present in the surrounding Rio Grande Valley countryside. A fully enclosed run with hardware cloth (not chicken wire) and a secure, predator-proof coop door are strongly recommended.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Leghorn, Easter Egger, Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, Australorp

Our package comes with two Rhode Island Reds – hardy in heat and cold, and friendly with kids.

Questions people ask about Brownsville

▸Do I need a permit to keep chickens in Brownsville?

No. The city's fowl-keeping ordinance does not require a permit for keeping backyard chickens; regulation is handled through the setback and nuisance rules instead.

▸How many hens can I keep in Brownsville?

The Code of Ordinances does not set a specific numeric limit on hens. Instead, it controls flock size indirectly through the 50-foot setback requirement and the general nuisance standard against noxious odors or disturbing noise.

▸Are roosters allowed in Brownsville?

The city's fowl ordinance does not single out roosters for a ban, and local chicken-keeping references report that roosters are allowed in Brownsville, though they remain subject to the same nuisance-noise rules as any other animal.

▸How far from my neighbor's house does my coop need to be?

Under Ord. 10-63, a coop or enclosure holding chickens or other fowl must be at least 50 feet from any neighboring residence (other than your own), and 50 feet from any church, school, hospital, convalescent home, or nursing home.

▸Can my chickens be cited as a nuisance even if I follow the setback rule?

Yes. Separately from the setback rule, Sec. 10-62 makes it unlawful to keep any animal, including fowl, in a manner that produces noxious odors or disturbing noises that annoy people of ordinary sensibilities nearby — so a smelly coop or a loud rooster can still be a violation even if it meets the 50-foot setback.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Brownsville or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked September 12, 2026.