Dade City, FL Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

City Code § 18-3 bans domesticated fowl from running at large but permits keeping up to six hens at a single-family residence under listed conditions: no more than six hens per single-family dwelling, none allowed at all in multi-family complexes or duplexes, no roosters permitted, and no slaughtering of birds on site. Enclosures must be completely secure, situated at least 20 feet from the nearest neighbor's residence, kept neat and sanitary enough to prevent odors detectable at the property line, and feed must be stored in rodent-proof containers.

Owners who were keeping chickens or roosters in violation before Ordinance No. 2012-04 took effect on October 9, 2012 got no grandfathering, though those in appropriate zoning districts had 90 days to come into compliance. 2, and requires all livestock to be registered with the city. Section 18-6 separately designates the entire city a bird sanctuary, making it unlawful to hunt, trap or molest wild birds, though that protection expressly does not extend to domestic or wild chickens and roosters, which remain governed by §§ 18-3 through 18-6 rather than the sanctuary rule.