Backyard Chickens in Durham, North Carolina

Can you keep chickens in Durham?

Thinking about starting a backyard flock in Durham, North Carolina? The Bull City allows residents to keep up to 10 hens per lot for personal egg production, no permit needed, as long as coop and setback rules are followed. Here's everything Durham chicken keepers need to know before building that coop.

Yes – with conditions

Yes. Durham's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) authorizes backyard chickens under Sec. 5.4.12, "Domestic Chickens (City Only)." The purpose of the section is to authorize and provide standards for the keeping of domesticated chickens, intended to enable residents to responsibly keep a small number of female chickens on a non‑commercial basis while limiting the potential adverse impacts on the surrounding neighborhood.

Under the current code (last amended June 2026), up to 10 female chickens are allowed per lot, regardless of the number of dwelling units on the lot, and only female chickens are permitted — meaning roosters are effectively prohibited. Ten female chickens are allowed on lots with single-family homes and townhouses and no agricultural permit is required under the current ordinance text. Chickens are strictly for personal, non-commercial use, and the sale of eggs, chicks, adult birds, meat, manure, or produce fertilized with chicken manure is prohibited.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: 10
Roosters: No
Permit required: No
Permit cost: Not specified
Setback from property line: 15 ft.

Peggy knows Durham

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Enclosures required: A chicken coop and a chicken pen must both be provided. Chickens must be secured in the coop during non-daylight hours; during the day they may be in the pen or, if supervised by an adult, in a securely fenced yard or portable "chicken tractor."
Setbacks: Chicken coops must be located at least 15 feet from any property line or public right-of-way; chicken pens must be at least 5 feet from any property line or right-of-way.
Coop construction: The coop must be enclosed with solid material on all sides and have a solid roof and door(s); an existing shed or garage may be used as a coop.
Pen construction: The pen must be built of wood or metal posts with wire fencing, and covered with wire, aviary netting, or solid roofing.
Sanitation: The coop, pen, and surrounding area must be kept sanitary at all times; manure, uneaten feed, and trash must be removed and disposed of promptly.
Manure/compost limits: No more than two cubic feet of chicken manure may be stored (in a waterproof container) for use as unprocessed fertilizer; any compost made with chicken manure must be produced in an enclosed backyard composter.
No sales: The Durham code is pretty clear that nothing that comes from the chicken may be sold — you may not sell chicken eggs, meat, manure, compost, or any plants that have been fertilized with any chicken manure or compost.
Breed restrictions: None — any chicken breed is allowed, but only hens (female chickens).
Slaughter: If chickens are processed for meat, it must follow NC Cooperative Extension Small Flock Management guidance and must not be visible from adjacent properties or public areas; birds that die of other causes must be bagged and disposed of with household waste.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Durham

🌡️ Climate

Humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa); USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7b–8a

Durham has hot, humid summers (highs often in the 90s°F) and mild, generally short winters with occasional freezes. This climate is generally favorable for backyard chickens, but keepers should prioritize shade, ventilation, and fresh water in summer, and wind/cold protection during winter cold snaps.

🦝 Who's after your hens

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In the Durham/Piedmont region, common backyard flock predators include red-tailed hawks and other raptors, red and gray foxes, raccoons, black rat snakes (which target eggs and chicks), and opossums. A secure, solid-walled coop with a locking door and a fully covered, wire-enclosed pen (as required by the UDO) helps protect flocks from these predators, especially overnight.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Rhode Island Red, Barred Plymouth Rock, Australorp, Buff Orpington, Easter Egger — heat-tolerant, hardy dual-purpose breeds that do well in North Carolina's humid summers.

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

Questions people ask about Durham

▸How many chickens can I keep in Durham, NC?

You may keep up to 10 female chickens per lot, regardless of how many dwelling units are on the lot, under UDO Sec. 5.4.12.

▸Are roosters allowed in Durham?

No. The ordinance specifies that only female chickens may be kept, so roosters are not permitted within city limits.

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

No separate agricultural or chicken permit is required under the current UDO — chickens are allowed as an accessory residential use as long as you follow the coop, setback, and sanitation standards in Sec. 5.4.12.

▸How far from my property line does my coop need to be?

Chicken coops must be at least 15 feet from any property line or public right-of-way; chicken pens must be at least 5 feet away.

▸Can I sell eggs from my Durham backyard chickens?

No. The ordinance is for personal, non-commercial use only — selling eggs, chicks, adult birds, manure, or produce fertilized with chicken manure is prohibited.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Durham or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked September 10, 2026.