Dorchester County allows up to ten female chickens and rabbits combined on a residential lot larger than 7,500 square feet under Zoning Standards Section 10.3.1(s). Roosters are effectively barred, animals must be confined to the rear, and HOAs may prohibit them.
Backyard poultry in unincorporated Dorchester County is set by ZLDS Section 10.3.1(s): on a single-family detached or manufactured-home lot larger than 7,500 square feet, a resident may keep up to ten animals total counting female chickens and rabbits together. Because the code authorizes only female chickens, roosters are not allowed. The animals must be confined to the rear of the property by fencing or other means, with sanitation maintained. Larger livestock such as cattle, goats, and horses belongs in the county's rural and agricultural districts around St. George, not suburban Summerville neighborhoods. The ordinance expressly warns that HOA covenants may prohibit these animals outright.
Keeping roosters, exceeding ten animals, failing to confine hens to the rear, or letting conditions turn unsanitary is a zoning violation enforced by Dorchester County code enforcement, with correction notices and fines. HOA prohibitions are enforced separately.
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See how Dorchester County's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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