Rowlett limits residentially-zoned properties to no more than two hens, kept at least 50 feet from the nearest inhabited dwelling other than the owner's. Loud fowl such as roosters, ducks, turkeys, geese, peacocks and guineas are banned within 150 feet of any residence, business or school. All fowl must be kept in a secure pen, coop or enclosure.
Texas has no statewide law governing backyard chickens within city limits, so the City of Rowlett regulates fowl directly through its Animal Code (Chapter 6). The ordinance provides that no person shall keep more than two hens in an area zoned residential within the city, and the hens must be kept no closer than 50 feet to the nearest inhabited dwelling other than that of the owner. Keeping 'loud fowl' such as roosters, ducks, turkeys, geese, peacocks, guineas or other such loud fowl is prohibited in any pen, coop or enclosure that is within 150 feet of any residence (other than the owner's), business or school. Any fowl kept within the city limits must be in a secure pen, coop or enclosure of construction and strength sufficient to keep the animals from running at large. The ordinance exempts public park lands and lakes, and also exempts property or acreage annexed into the city after January 1, 1999, for a period of 12 months from the adoption of the annexation ordinance. These setback, count and housing rules are the controlling law for residents inside Rowlett.
Keeping more than two hens on a residential lot, housing fowl too close to a dwelling (under 50 feet) or keeping loud fowl within 150 feet of a residence, business or school, or failing to keep fowl in a secure enclosure, are code violations that can lead to citations, fines and orders to remove or relocate the birds.
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