Mansfield Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock Rules (2026)

The Mansfield City Code Chapter 14 (Animals), combined with the Unified Development Code, permits residents of single-family lots to keep a limited number of hens with enclosure and setback requirements. North Texas suburbs typically require a coop setback of 25 to 50 feet from the nearest neighboring dwelling, a covered and predator-secure enclosure, and a ban on roosters in most residential zoning districts because of crowing noise; Mansfield follows the same framework and references it in Animal Care and Control guidance. Larger livestock such as cattle, horses, sheep, goats, hogs, and miniature donkeys are generally prohibited on standard residential lots; Mansfield retains agriculturally zoned and estate lots along the city edge where livestock may be kept under applicable zoning approvals and stocking density rules, and existing rural parcels annexed into the city often carry legal non-conforming livestock rights. Texas HB 1750 (2023) classifies backyard chickens as agricultural operations and raises the bar for cities to ban or tightly restrict them, requiring proof of an imminent health or safety danger; Mansfield enforcement focuses on sanitation, setbacks, and secure enclosures rather than outright bans. HOA covenants in Walnut Creek Country Club, South Pointe, and Mira Lagos subdivisions frequently prohibit chickens outright and are enforceable as private contract law.