Birmingham allows backyard hens under §3-1-52 with restrictions; roosters prohibited citywide. Jefferson County suburbs vary: Hoover and Vestavia Hills restrict to agricultural zones, Mountain Brook effectively prohibits in residential. Coop setbacks 25 to 40 ft common. Alabama's agricultural heritage supports livestock on larger lots outside city limits.
Birmingham Code §3-1-52 allows up to 6 hens on residential parcels with coop setbacks of at least 25 feet from any dwelling on an adjoining property and 10 feet from property lines. Roosters are prohibited citywide due to noise. Coops must be predator-proof and waste must be managed to prevent odor and rodent nuisance. Hoover Zoning Ordinance restricts poultry to A-1 Agricultural zones only. Vestavia Hills Code §7-2 prohibits livestock including chickens in residential zones. Mountain Brook permits chickens only on properties over 2 acres with strict coop placement. Homewood Code §5-2 prohibits livestock in residential zones. In unincorporated Jefferson County under Home Rule authority, large-lot rural areas particularly in the western county (near McCalla and outside Bessemer) allow traditional livestock (goats, hogs, cattle) subject to county nuisance provisions. Alabama Right-to-Farm Act (Ala. Code §6-5-127) protects established agricultural uses from nuisance claims. Jefferson County Animal Control handles enforcement in unincorporated areas; Birmingham-Jefferson County Animal Control Authority (BJCACA) serves many incorporated areas.
Birmingham ordinance violation: $100 to $500 under §1-1-6. Rooster keeping: citation and removal order. Livestock in restricted residential zones: $250 to $500 with daily repeat fines. Unsanitary coop conditions: public health nuisance citation.
Hoover, AL
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Hoover, AL
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Hoover, AL
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Hoover, AL
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Hoover, AL
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Hoover, AL
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Jefferson County.
See how Hoover's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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