Backyard chickens in Victoria, Texas

Yes — hens are allowed in the City of Victoria, Texas under Chapter 4 ("Animals and Fowl") of the City Code, which the City Council substantially rewrote in 2021 (the chapter had not been updated since 1992). An early draft of the rewrite would have capped households at 10 chickens/fowl, but the version that went to the final public hearing removed that idea entirely: the current codes eliminate the previously proposed cap on the number of dogs, cats or chickens that can be kept at one home, meaning the adopted code does not set a specific maximum number of hens.

Roosters are not permitted. The ordinance language states that no roosters shall be permitted on any premises in the City, and a rooster shall be removed within seventy-two (72) hours of the date of discovery.

The chapter also continues to carve out an exception for young people in agriculture programs — the code continues to allow animals to be raised for agriculture education programs, with appropriate supervision — which historically has permitted larger, temporary flocks for 4-H/FFA stock-show projects.

Victoria sits in the humid, subtropical Texas Coastal Plain, with hot, humid summers (frequently 95°F+ with high humidity) and mild, short winters that rarely see hard freezes. Coops need excellent ventilation, shade, and cooling measures (e.g., misters, frozen water treats) to help flocks handle summer heat stress, while minimal cold-weather insulation is needed compared to northern climates.

Backyard flocks in the Victoria area face predation risk from raccoons and opossums raiding coops at night, hawks and other birds of prey during the day, and roaming coyotes and foxes on the city's semi-rural edges. Snakes are also a common threat to eggs and chicks in the warm coastal climate. Secure, hardware-cloth-covered runs and a coop that closes fully at night are essential.