Deerfield Beach, FL Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 10-4(a)
- Fowl/livestock in residential zones
- Prohibited outright
- Duck exception
- Up to two, Muscovy ducks banned
- Rooster feeding
- Prohibited citywide
- Potbellied pigs
- Excluded from pet definition
- Last amended
- Ord. No. 2026-002, 3-31-26
Summary
Live fowl, including roosters, and other livestock are banned in Deerfield Beach's residential zones under City Code Sec. 10-4(a). Up to two non-Muscovy ducks are allowed as pets, and feeding roosters anywhere in the city is separately prohibited.
Sec. 10-4. - Maintaining animals in general; limitation on number of pets; enforcement. (a) No person shall keep, maintain, possess or harbor in any residential zoning district of the city, any live fowl, including but not limited to roosters, or live animal; provided, however, this prohibition shall not apply to domesticated household pets... Potbellied pigs shall not be deemed to be domesticated household pets... The keeping of no more than two ducks (other than Muscovy, which are prohibited) shall be considered to be included within the scope of domesticated household pets. However, the keeping of any more than two ducks shall not be included within the definition of "domesticated household pets." No person shall feed roosters within the city.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 10-4(a) bars anyone from keeping, maintaining, possessing, or harboring any live fowl, including but not limited to roosters, or any live animal in a residential zoning district, with the prohibition lifted only for animals that qualify as domesticated household pets. The code lists dogs, cats, parrots, parakeets, canaries, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, turtles, non-venomous snakes, ferrets, and non-dangerous reptiles as domesticated household pets, but expressly states that potbellied pigs do not qualify. The section carves out a narrow poultry exception: keeping no more than two ducks, other than Muscovy ducks which are outright prohibited, falls within the domesticated household pet category, but keeping more than two ducks of any kind falls outside that protection and becomes unlawful.
The section separately and categorically bans feeding roosters anywhere within city limits, regardless of zoning district or ownership. Proper sanitary measures must be observed at all times for any permitted pet. The section was last amended by Ord. No. 2026-002 on March 31, 2026.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a chicken, rooster, goat, or any other livestock animal in a residential zone violates Sec. 10-4(a) outright; there is no permit path to legalize it since fowl and other livestock simply fall outside the domesticated-household-pet exception. Keeping three or more ducks, or any Muscovy duck at all, is likewise a violation, and feeding a rooster anywhere in the city, even one belonging to a neighbor, is separately unlawful under the same subsection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep backyard chickens in Deerfield Beach?
Are ducks allowed as pets?
Can I feed the wild roosters in my neighborhood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Deerfield Beach
How Deerfield Beach compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Deerfield Beach to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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