Backyard Chickens in Fort Worth, Texas

Can you keep chickens in Fort Worth?

Cowtown embraces its agricultural roots — Fort Worth allows residents to keep a generous number of chickens and other fowl, with limits scaled to your property size rather than a single flat cap. Just remember: birds must stay penned at all times and coops need to sit well back from neighboring homes and public buildings.

Yes – with conditions

Yes, backyard chickens (and other fowl) are legal in Fort Worth, Texas under § 11A-22 "Keeping Pigeons and Certain Fowl" of the City Code of Ordinances. The number of fowl you may keep is tied to your lot size, roosters are capped at two per property regardless of lot size, and all birds must be confined to a coop or pen at all times — free-ranging is not permitted.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

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

Peggy knows Fort Worth

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Fort Worth regulates fowl by property size rather than a flat hen cap, and applies the same setback and coop rules city-wide (§ 11A-22):

½ acre or less: up to 12 fowl total, no more than 2 roosters.
More than ½ acre but less than 1 acre: up to 25 fowl total, no more than 2 roosters.
1 acre or more: up to 50 fowl total, no more than 2 roosters.

All fowl must be kept in a fully enclosed coop or pen — no free-ranging is allowed. Coops/pens must be located more than 50 feet from any "regulated structure," which includes any residence other than the owner's own home, restaurants/cafes, churches, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, daycare facilities, medical/dental offices, hotels, and motels. Waste must be collected daily into a rat-proof, fly-tight container, stored in a sealed odor-proof container, and disposed of at least once a week. Persistent crowing or other bird noise lasting 10+ minutes on a frequent basis is also separately prohibited as a noise nuisance.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Fort Worth

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 8a

Fort Worth has a humid subtropical climate with hot, often extreme summers (frequently exceeding 100°F in July–August) and mild, generally short winters. Chicken keepers should prioritize heat tolerance, shade, and ventilation in coop design over cold-hardiness.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkCoyoteOpossumSnakeSkunk

Urban and suburban Fort Worth flocks commonly face raccoons, opossums, and snakes raiding coops at night, along with hawks (especially red-tailed and Cooper's hawks) during the day. Coyotes are increasingly reported even in inner-city neighborhoods, and skunks can also target eggs and young birds. Secure, fully-latched coops with hardware cloth (not just chicken wire) are recommended given the mandatory 24/7 coop confinement required by city ordinance.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

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

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

Questions people ask about Fort Worth

▸How many chickens can I keep in Fort Worth?

It depends on your lot size: up to 12 fowl on ½ acre or less, up to 25 fowl on more than ½ acre but less than 1 acre, and up to 50 fowl on 1 acre or more, per § 11A-22.

▸Are roosters allowed in Fort Worth?

Yes, but no more than two roosters are allowed per property regardless of total flock size or lot size, and persistent crowing can trigger a separate noise-nuisance violation.

▸Do I need a permit to keep chickens in Fort Worth?

No permit is required under the fowl-keeping ordinance itself; the rules are enforced through the lot-size caps, coop, and setback requirements rather than a licensing system.

▸How far must my coop be from my neighbor's house?

Coops or pens must be located more than 50 feet from any "regulated structure," which includes neighboring residences, restaurants, schools, churches, hospitals, daycare facilities, and lodging establishments.

▸Can I let my chickens free-range in my yard?

No. City code requires that all fowl be kept within a fully enclosed coop or pen at all times; keeping any fowl outside of a coop or pen is a code violation.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Fort Worth or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked August 29, 2026.