San Antonio, TX Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Texas counties lack zoning authority under TX Local Government Code Ch. 240, so unincorporated Bexar County imposes no limit on the number of hens, ducks, goats, or small ruminants kept on a parcel, and does not require a permit. Rural-residential parcels in the western county (Helotes ETJ, Grey Forest area), southern county (near Somerset and Elmendorf), and the northeast (near Schertz and Selma) commonly keep flocks and small herds. The main constraints are TX Health and Safety Code Ch. 343 (nuisances) and Ch. 822 (dangerous dogs and livestock-dog conflicts), TX Agriculture Code Ch. 142 (estrays), and the Texas Right to Farm Act (Ag Code 251) which protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits once a one-year threshold has passed. Within the City of San Antonio, Section 5-102 of the city code allows up to 8 female fowl on a residential lot with a 20-foot coop setback from any dwelling not owned by the keeper, and no roosters. Converse, Live Oak, and Universal City each have their own chicken rules (Converse typically 6 hens, Live Oak 4 to 6, Universal City no roosters). HOAs in Stone Oak, Cibolo Canyons, and The Dominion frequently prohibit any poultry or livestock. For goats, swine, and cattle inside San Antonio, AG zoning is required; unincorporated parcels have no such restriction.