Decatur, GA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Decatur's animal chapter treats hogs, larger livestock, and small fowl differently. Section 14-7 bans keeping hogs or pigs anywhere in the city, full stop. 1, added by Ordinance No. O-99-19 and amended in 2012, sets numeric standards for cattle, horses and similar livestock: the property must be at least two acres, any building housing the livestock must sit at least 200 feet from a property line, the animals themselves must be kept at least 100 feet from a property line, and the lot must provide a minimum of 5,000 square feet of fenced, unbuilt area per animal.

Live slaughter of livestock is prohibited outright. Chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, turkeys and small domesticated animals like rabbits and guinea pigs fall under the more permissive § 14-8: they may be kept on any residential lot, but housing must have a solid, approved floor and at least four square feet of floor space per bird over one month old, the coop or pen must sit back at least 75 feet from a neighboring residence, or the width of the lot if narrower, the fowl must be fenced and not allowed to run onto a neighbor's property, and live slaughter of poultry is likewise banned.

Section 14-9 layers on sanitation duties: manure must be kept in a covered bin and removed before it becomes malodorous, and waste in public rights-of-way, parks, or a neighbor's yard must be picked up immediately.