Whitfield County, GA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 4-6-17 of the Unified Zoning Ordinance (Appendix A) splits animal-keeping into two tiers. Livestock weighing ten pounds or more is permitted in the GA, SA and R-5 residential zoning districts, or on a commercial or manufacturing lot holding a non-conforming single-family home, but only on a minimum of two acres, with no more than four total animals per two acres prorated, and every housing or feeding structure kept at least 25 feet from any lot line. Small animals under ten pounds, which includes backyard chickens, are allowed in the same GA, SA and R-5 districts subject to their own conditions: enclosures need a solid, washable floor unless the pen sits 75 feet or more from a neighbor's dwelling or business, at least six square feet of floor space per animal, and regular cleaning to prevent nuisance odors.

Pens must sit at least 50 feet from any neighboring dwelling or business, only five feet from the owner's own home. On lots up to five acres, the total is capped at ten small animals, and the ordinance specifically bars roosters, peafowl or any other fowl whose calls carry to an adjoining lot. Lots of five acres or more have no cap on non-commercial small animals. All of this is a separate track from the county's commercial poultry farming rules under Section 4-6-35, which require a five-acre minimum in the GA district and 25-foot setbacks for the housing structures.