NC · verified 2026-10-21
Cary, NC
Short answerYes: the City of Cary code allows up to 5 birds; roosters are banned; a permit is required, but the code lists no fee; and the coop setback is 15 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Cary corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Cary corporate limits only. An HOA or neighborhood covenant can still ban hens. Those private rules are usually not public, so HenCheck does not look them up.
Primary source: Land Development Ordinance 5.3.4(J) Animal Husbandry
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 5 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Permit required, fee not listed in the code
- Setback
- 15 ft
Code cite: Land Development Ordinance 5.3.4(J) Animal Husbandry
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Land Development Ordinance 5.3.4(J) Animal Husbandry
How many hens
“The maximum number of female chickens (hens) allowed is five (5) per lot. No roosters are permitted.”
The limit of 5 hens applies in R-20, R-12, R-8, TR, TC, PDD and MXD districts on lots of at least 6,000 sq ft. The R-40 and R-80 districts allow chickens with no permit and no stated number.
Land Development Ordinance 5.3.4(J) Animal Husbandry
Roosters
“No roosters are permitted.”
Permit and fee
“An accessory use permit must be secured in accordance with Section 3.5.”
The permit application needs a plot plan showing the coop, the pen and their distances from property lines. Ask the Planning Department for the fee.
Setback / screening
“Chicken coops, pens, and tractors (whether stationary or moveable) shall only be located in rear yards (behind the line formed by the back wall of the residence), shall comply with a minimum setback of fifteen (15) feet from side and rear property lines, shall be located closer to the owner's primary structure than any neighbor's primary structure, and shall be outside of regulated urban transition buffers.”
Also in this section
“The keeping of chickens shall be permitted as an accessory use in conjunction with detached, single-unit residential uses in the R-20, R-12, R-8, TR, TC-MDR, TC-LDR, TC-LDR-12, PDD and MXD districts where the minimum lot size is six thousand (6,000) square feet.”
“Eggs, chicks, adult chickens, and processed chickens shall not be sold.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Research Triangle, NC metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to North Carolina via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists North Carolina among the states it ships to, with chicks going out Mondays and Wednesdays from February to August and Wednesdays only from August to late October. Order sexed pullets if your city bans roosters or does not address them.
Feed store
Tractor Supply — Hillsborough (#1849)
Hillsborough — 1701 NC Hwy 86 South, Hillsborough, NC 27278. (919) 245-0522. Store page lists livestock feed and farm supplies, including chicken coops, waterers and feeders.
Coop
OverEZ Medium Chicken Coop with Wooden 8 ft Chicken Run
Dimensions: Coop 50¼ in L × 52½ in W × 62¼ in H (includes nesting box), sized by OverEZ for up to 10 chickens; Wooden 8 ft run 8 ft W × 8 ft L × 6 ft 3 in H
Price: Coop $1,699.00 (Classic or Coastal finish; the Farmhouse finish was out of stock); Wooden 8 ft run $1,899.00. Prices as shown on overezchickencoop.com on 2026-10-21. OverEZ lists its smaller 5-chicken coop as out of stock.
The coop footprint is about 4.2 ft × 4.4 ft and the run is 8 ft × 8 ft, so with the coop at the end of the run plan on roughly 8 ft × 12.5 ft. Measure your setback from the cited code before you pick a spot, and check any height limit: the run is 6 ft 3 in tall. OverEZ ships coops and runs by tractor-trailer freight to the end of your driveway; homes on islands or on roads a truck cannot reach may need to pick up at a freight terminal.
Vet
NC State Veterinary Hospital — Avian service
Raleigh — 1052 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607. Its avian page says it sees all pet birds including backyard poultry, and that no referral is needed. Call 919-513-6999 (emergencies 919-513-6911).
Verified 2026-10-21 against Land Development Ordinance 5.3.4(J) Animal Husbandry at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/cary/latest/cary_nc/0-0-0-69332. Read the live code before you build or order birds.