Backyard chickens in Nashville, Tennessee
Everything you need to know before you start a backyard flock in Nashville – the rules, the climate and the neighbors with teeth.
Can you keep chickens in Nashville?
Dreaming of fresh eggs in Music City? Nashville/Davidson County residents can legally keep backyard hens (roosters are off-limits) with an annual permit from Metro Animal Care and Control. Just follow the lot-size-based hen limits, coop setbacks, and sanitation rules, and your flock can be clucking away in no time!
Yes – with conditions
Yes, Nashville/Davidson County allows residents to keep domesticated hens (not roosters) in residential areas, but an annual permit is required under Metro Code § 8.12.020. Permits are only available for hens kept on property within the General Services District (GSD), and are generally required unless the property is zoned agricultural (AG) or is 5+ acres in certain residential zones. No roosters, breeding, slaughtering, or sale of eggs/hens is permitted under the permit.
The rules at a glance
- Hens in city limits
- Allowed
- How many hens
- 6
- Roosters
- No
- Permit required
- Yes
- Permit cost
- $25
- Setback from property line
- 25 ft.
Peggy knows Nashville
The rules, straight from the municipal code.
Per the Metro Public Health Department's Domesticated Hen Permit Rules and Regulations (citing Metro Code § 8.12.020):
- Number of hens allowed depends on lot size: 2 hens for lots up to 5,009 sq ft (≤0.11 acre); 4 hens for lots 5,010–10,236 sq ft (0.12–0.23 acre); 6 hens for lots 10,237 sq ft or larger (0.24+ acre).
- Hens must be kept outside any habitable structure in a predator-proof enclosure with a covered hen house and a separate fenced area; hen houses must be enclosed on all sides with a roof, lockable doors, and vents/windows covered with predator-proof wire (openings smaller than one square inch).
- Hen house must provide a minimum of 2 sq ft per hen; the fenced enclosure must provide 6 sq ft per bird.
- All enclosures must be located in the side or rear yard only (never the front yard); if in the side yard, hens and hen house must not be visible from any public right-of-way and must be screened with fencing or landscaping.
- All enclosures must be at least 25 feet from any residential structure other than the permit holder's own home, and at least 10 feet from any property line.
- Food must be stored indoors or in a weather-resistant, metal-lidded container; uneaten food removed daily.
- Enclosures must be kept clean, dry, odor-free, and ventilated, with no perceptible odor at any property line, and manure must be composted in a well-aerated pile or removed.
- Violations can result in fines of $50 per day.
- Permits are annual (expire Dec. 31), non-transferable to another person or address, and become void if the permit holder is absent from the property for 60 consecutive days. HOA bylaws are not overridden by the permit.
Keeping a flock happy in Nashville
🌡️ Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone 7a/7b
Nashville has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers (highs often in the 90s°F) and generally mild winters with occasional freezes. Coops should provide good ventilation and shade for summer heat, plus wind protection for occasional winter cold snaps.
🦝 Who's after your hens
Nashville backyard flocks face typical Middle Tennessee predators including raccoons, hawks, foxes, coyotes, snakes, and opossums, all of which are present in the region's suburban and wooded areas. Metro's own hen-keeping guidance stresses building a predator-proof enclosure that keeps digging animals out from below and hawks from flying in from above.
🐔 Breeds that do well here
Rhode Island Red, Buff Orpington, Australorp, Plymouth Rock — all cold- and heat-tolerant dual-purpose breeds well suited to Tennessee's variable climate
Our package comes with two Rhode Island Reds – hardy in heat and cold, and friendly with kids.
Questions people ask about Nashville
▸How many hens can I keep in Nashville?
It depends on your lot size: 2 hens on lots up to 0.11 acre, 4 hens on lots between 0.12–0.23 acre, and up to 6 hens on lots 0.24 acre or larger.
▸Are roosters allowed in Nashville?
No. Nashville's domesticated hen permit program explicitly prohibits roosters, along with breeding, slaughtering, and selling eggs or hens.
▸Do I need a permit to keep chickens in Nashville?
Yes, an annual $25 permit from Metro Animal Care and Control is required for most residential properties, unless the property is zoned agricultural.
▸How far must my coop be from my neighbor's house?
Enclosures must be at least 25 feet from any residential structure other than your own home, and at least 10 feet from any property line.
▸Does a Nashville hen permit override my HOA rules?
No. Many HOAs prohibit poultry entirely, and the city permit does not override existing HOA bylaws, so you must check with your HOA before keeping hens.
City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Nashville or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked August 27, 2026.
Ready to start your own flock?
Everything arrives at your door – the coop, two Rhode Island Red hens, and all the gear in between.
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