Desoto County, MS Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

DeSoto County, MS regulates livestock and poultry through municipal zoning ordinances adopted under MS Code Ann. §21-19-9 and §17-1-3. In unincorporated DeSoto County, agricultural zoning historically permits chickens, horses, goats, cattle, and sheep on parcels meeting minimum acreage requirements (commonly 2 acres for small livestock, 5+ acres for cattle/horses). Within city limits, rules tighten: Southaven's zoning code restricts poultry to specific residential/agricultural zones and prohibits roosters in standard R-1 districts; Olive Branch permits a limited flock of hens (typically 4-6) in most residential zones with setbacks of 25-50 feet from neighboring dwellings; Horn Lake and Hernando take similar approaches, with Hernando's Unified Development Code allowing small flocks subject to coop sanitation standards. Slaughter of animals is prohibited in residential zones under most municipal nuisance codes. Coops must be maintained in sanitary condition with manure managed to prevent odor and rodent issues under MS Code Ann. §41-37-1 (public nuisance). Feed must be stored in rodent-proof containers. Mississippi's Right to Farm Act, MS Code Ann. §95-3-29, protects pre-existing agricultural operations from nuisance suits brought by newer neighbors, which matters in DeSoto given the county's rapid suburban expansion into former farmland. HOAs in Cherokee Valley, Plantation Lakes, and similar master-planned communities frequently ban all poultry and livestock regardless of city allowance.