Norman, OK Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

NCC 4-301 permits chickens or laying hens in the R-1 zoning district only on land where the owner or occupant actually resides, capped at four birds per parcel unless the keeper can meet additional setback conditions to go higher. Roosters are banned outright, with no exception written into the section. The coop and run have to sit in the rear or backyard, never in a side or front yard, and both structures must be attached to each other and kept at least five feet from any side or rear property line and at least 25 feet from any dwelling unit other than the owner's.

Size minimums are set per bird: four square feet of coop and eight square feet of run per chicken. Chickens get access to the run and coop during daylight, but from dusk to dawn they must be locked inside the coop for protection from predators, and both the coop and run must be built to resist predator entry, with any openings screened against flies and vermin. Water must be available on-site at all times. Chickens can range loose in a fenced yard during the day under supervision, but any that stray beyond that fenced yard can be treated as nuisance animals under NCC 4-101.

Outdoor slaughter is banned, and all electrical or heat sources used for the birds must meet the City's building code. Every enclosure has to be cleaned regularly enough to avoid a buildup of feed, feces, or nesting material that creates an odor, vermin, or unsanitary nuisance.