Backyard chickens in Maryville, Tennessee

Maryville does not treat backyard chickens as a right in ordinary residential zones. Under the city's zoning ordinance, poultry — a term the city defines to include chickens, hens, roosters, and turkeys — may only be kept in the city if the property owner obtains a special-exception use approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), unless the flock is a legal, pre-existing, nonconforming use.

The Maryville City Council adopted this restriction through a 2014 ordinance amendment. As reported by The Daily Times, the change meant residents could have livestock and poultry "if they can get a special-exception use approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals," and that "only livestock or poultry that are legal pre-existing, nonconforming uses may be kept in the city unless approved by the BZA." This effectively limits ordinary flock-keeping to agriculturally-zoned or specially-approved properties, which matches independent chicken-law summaries describing Maryville as having a citywide ban on backyard chickens except in agricultural zones.

Separately, Title 10 (Animal Control) of the Maryville Municipal Code sets baseline welfare and nuisance rules for any fowl that ARE lawfully kept in the city: they may not be permitted to run at large in streets, alleys, or unenclosed lots (§ 10-301); any pen or enclosure housing fowl must be kept clean and sanitary at all times (§ 10-303); and adequate food, water, shelter, and ventilation must be provided (§ 10-304). Fowl kept or running at large in violation of the code may be seized and impounded (§ 10-307).

Bottom line: a typical homeowner on a standard residential lot in Maryville cannot simply start a backyard hen flock. You would need to apply for and receive a special-exception permit from the Board of Zoning Appeals (generally easiest to obtain in agriculturally-zoned areas), or already have a legally pre-existing flock.

Maryville sits in East Tennessee's Great Valley/foothills region, with hot, humid summers and mild-to-cold winters that occasionally dip below freezing. Coops should provide shade and ventilation for summer heat as well as some wind protection for winter cold spells.

The Blount County/foothills area has healthy populations of hawks, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, and opossums, all of which will target unsecured coops or free-ranging birds, especially around wooded edges near the Smoky Mountains foothills.