Oconee County, SC Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

16's zoning use matrix draws a line between ordinary farming and commercial-scale operations. The matrix carries a specific line item for 'Agricultural production, crops, livestock, and poultry (excluding commercial chicken houses, commercial hog parlors, and commercial feed lots)' and marks it 'P' for permitted by right in the Traditional Rural, Agriculture, Agricultural Residential, Conservation, Rural Residential, Residential, Community Commercial, Highway Commercial and Industrial Districts, and 'X' for not permitted only in the Public and Recreation Lands, Lake Residential and Mixed Use Districts. A separate matrix line for agricultural production without that carve-out, meaning it reaches commercial operations too, is permitted in only four districts, Traditional Rural, Agriculture, Conservation and Rural Residential, and is marked not permitted everywhere else, including the Residential District.

1, a 'P' use gets administrative review and approval against the applicable district's other standards only, with no special-exception hearing required. Because keeping a family flock or a small number of livestock falls under the non-commercial line item, a homeowner in the Residential District (RD) can raise poultry or livestock by right, while a commercial chicken house or hog parlor on the same lot would not be permitted and would need to be sited in a district where the unrestricted 'Agricultural production' line item is marked permitted.