Lafayette, LA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered fowl
- chickens, turkeys, geese, guineas, ducks, pigeons
- Confinement rule
- pen, coop or enclosure required at all times
- Minimum setback
- 25 feet from occupied buildings
- Rabbit coop height
- at least 2 feet above ground/slab
- Pigeon loft space
- 1 sq. ft. per mature pigeon
Summary
Lafayette allows backyard chickens, turkeys, geese, guineas, ducks and pigeons under § 10-191, but they cannot run at large and must be kept in a pen, coop or enclosure at least 25 feet from any building used for sleeping, dining, living or working. Pigeon keeping gets extra rules in § 10-192.
(a)It shall be prohibited for any person raising or keeping chickens, turkeys, geese, guineas, ducks, pigeons or other fowl or rabbits to allow or permit the fowl or rabbits to run at large or be at large.(b)It shall be the duty of every person raising or keeping chickens, turkeys, geese, guineas, pigeons or other fowl, except pigeons and migratory waterfowl being raised or kept pursuant to a permit issued by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior on private property, to keep them in a pen, coop or enclosure. Such pen, coop or enclosure shall be constructed in such manner that the fowl shall be confined within such pen, coop or enclosure at all times. Such pen, coop or enclosure shall be at a distance of at least 25 feet from any and every building or structure used for sleeping, dining, living or working, shall be kept in a sanitary condition at all times, and shall be kept in such a manner as will be reasonably calculated not to become offensive to adjacent neighbors or to the public.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-191(a) bans anyone raising or keeping chickens, turkeys, geese, guineas, ducks, pigeons or other fowl or rabbits from letting them run at large. S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit. Section 10-191(c) applies that same 25-foot setback and sanitary-condition standard to permitted migratory waterfowl operations. Section 10-191(d) sets parallel but stricter rules for rabbits: the coop or enclosure must sit at least two feet above ground or slab, meet animal-care-center guidelines, and stay at least 25 feet from any building not on the owner's own property.
Pigeon keepers face a dedicated regime in § 10-192: the loft must be sized and built for clean, sanitary maintenance, with at least one square foot of space per mature pigeon, feed stored in vermin-proof containers, birds fed only within the loft, and pigeons confined to the loft except for supervised exercise, training or competition flights, during which the owner must take reasonable measures to prevent the birds from perching or lingering on neighboring property. 00 and six months imprisonment for uncorrected violations.
Violations & Fines
Letting chickens or other fowl run at large, or keeping them in a pen closer than 25 feet to an inhabited building, violates § 10-191 and exposes the keeper to impoundment of the birds under § 10-101 and the Code's general penalty of up to $500.00 or six months imprisonment under § 1-9(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must my backyard chicken coop be from my house?
Can my chickens free-range in my yard in Lafayette?
Are there special rules for keeping pigeons in Lafayette?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lafayette
How Lafayette compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Lafayette to another location·View the Louisiana animal ordinances overview
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