Southampton, NY Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Chapter 330, § 330-79, Agriculture, gardening and animal husbandry, governs raising chickens, other fowl, livestock, and fur- or wool-bearing animals on residential land in the Town's CR and R Districts, the zoning that covers most of the unincorporated hamlets from Water Mill to Riverside. The section opens by carving out ordinary household pets from its reach: it applies to the keeping of animals in all forms, except the keeping of animals as household pets, so a family dog or cat isn't governed by this acreage standard.

For everything else, animal husbandry shall only be permitted on sites of 10 acres or more, a substantial minimum that keeps backyard chicken coops and livestock pens confined to large agricultural-scale parcels rather than ordinary residential lots. Shelters built for the animals carry their own setbacks: they must sit at least 150 feet from any street line and 200 feet from any other property line, though an existing shelter that predates the rule may remain and be added to, provided the addition doesn't encroach on a required yard.

Section 330-79 also requires that the disposal of animal wastes be provided for in such a manner as to prevent any nuisance or sanitary problem, giving Code Enforcement a nuisance-based hook independent of the acreage and setback standards. A separate accessory-use cross-reference, § 330-76J, folds keeping more than two dogs over six months old in outdoor shelters or pens, or any horses or farm livestock, back into these same § 330-79 standards.