Greece, NY Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 211-33 of the Zoning Code, Animals and animal training facilities, treats livestock differently depending on where it's kept. Subsection B lets farm animals, regardless of size, breed or species, live outdoors, but only if the animals are actually kept on a farm, meaning a parcel that meets the ten-acre-plus definition in § 211-5 or otherwise qualifies as a farm operation under Article 25-AA of the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law. Outside of that farm exemption, subsection D flatly bars any premises from being used, and any structure from being erected or maintained, to harbor swine, goats, sheep, lambs, chickens, ducks or other similar animals.

The only other carve-out is § 211-33C, which lets the Board of Zoning Appeals issue a special permit for private or public stables housing horses or ponies, subject to acreage, setback and fencing standards, such as a 150-foot setback for barns and manure storage from a neighbor's dwelling. A homeowner on a standard residential lot, even one with several acres, cannot keep a backyard chicken coop or a few goats unless the parcel independently meets the farm definition; there is no separate small-flock or hobby-farm allowance carved out of § 211-33D for lots under ten acres.

Dogs get their own, unrelated cap of three per dwelling unit under § 211-33A, and domestic cats are the only animal expressly allowed outdoors under the general "other animals" pet allowance in subsection D.