Winston-Salem, NC Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Anyone who keeps, feeds, or maintains horses, mules, donkeys, goats, sheep, or cattle within Winston-Salem's corporate limits must fence the animals and provide an appropriate shelter, kept clean and sanitary. A watertight, fly-proof manure bin or pit is mandatory, emptied daily and cleared entirely at least every five days from March 15 to September 15 and weekly the rest of the year. Shelter, housing, or fencing for these animals cannot sit within 50 feet of any adjoining property line unless the keeper first obtains a special use permit under Section 6-1.4 of the Unified Development Ordinance. Pigs are banned outright under a separate section.