Cabarrus County, NC Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

The county's Development Ordinance regulates farm animals as Performance Based Standards uses in Chapter 7, Section 7-3. Item 2-A, Agriculture Including Livestock, applies in the Low Density Residential and Medium Density Residential districts and requires a minimum lot size of five acres for either district; any building housing livestock must sit at least 150 feet from both the nearest building with human inhabitants and the nearest property line. Item 2-B, Agriculture-Female Chickens, covers smaller residential lots under five acres and sets a sliding cap on hens: up to five chickens on lots under one acre, up to ten on a one-acre lot, and up to fifteen on lots between two and five acres.

The rules require the birds be kept strictly for egg production, with the chicken house and run fully enclosed and the hens confined inside at all times; houses and runs must be maintained in a safe, clean, sanitary condition free of nuisance odors and standing moisture. The chicken house itself must sit at least 25 feet from any property line, and the run area must clear both 25 feet from any property line and 50 feet from any stream. Feed must be stored to protect against rodents, and all structures, fencing and the hens themselves must be confined to the rear yard, with the range area barred from extending under the crawl space of any residential structure.

Roosters are prohibited outright under Item 2-B(g). Waste must be disposed of properly, either bagged for trash pickup or handled through on-site composting that meets the separate setback rule described under the composting provision of the same section.