Plano, TX Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Plano's Code of Ordinances permits residents to keep a limited number of hens on single-family residential lots, with enclosure and setback requirements typically measured from the coop to the nearest neighboring dwelling. Common thresholds used in North Texas suburbs (and reflected in Plano's rule) include a minimum distance of roughly 25 to 50 feet from any neighboring residence to a coop or run, a covered and predator-secure enclosure, and a ban on roosters in most residential zoning districts due to crowing noise. Larger livestock such as cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and pigs are generally prohibited on standard residential lots; agricultural-zoned or legal non-conforming tracts may keep livestock under the applicable zoning approval and with appropriate stocking density. Texas HB 1750 (effective 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; Plano has adapted enforcement accordingly, focusing on sanitation, setbacks, and predator-secure enclosures rather than outright bans. HOA covenants in many Plano subdivisions (Willow Bend, Deerfield, Preston Meadow, Steeplechase) prohibit chickens outright and are enforceable as private contract law separate from the city rule. Feed storage must be rodent-proof and manure must be managed to prevent fly and odor complaints.