GA · verified 2026-10-21
Decatur, GA
Short answerYes: the City of Decatur code allows backyard hens, but the cited section sets no number; the cited code does not mention roosters; the cited code does not mention a permit; and the coop setback is 75 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Decatur corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Decatur 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: Sec. 14-8. Keeping of fowl and small domesticated animals—General regulations.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- No number set in the cited code section
- Roosters
- Not addressed in the cited code
- Permit & fee
- Code does not mention a permit
- Setback
- 75 ft
Code cite: Sec. 14-8. Keeping of fowl and small domesticated animals—General regulations.
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Sec. 14-8. Keeping of fowl and small domesticated animals—General regulations.
How many hens
“Small domesticated animals, such as rabbits and guinea pigs and fowl, such as chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, turkeys and the like may be kept within the city subject to the following regulations:”
Decatur's code allows chickens but sets no number.
Sec. 14-8. Keeping of fowl and small domesticated animals—General regulations.
Roosters
The cited code section does not mention roosters. Ask the city before you keep one.
Permit and fee
Code does not mention a permit. Ask the city whether a permit is needed before you buy birds.
Setback / screening
“All houses, hutches, pens, stables, sheds, stalls or enclosures where such livestock, poultry or other fowl are kept shall not be nearer to any houses wherein human beings reside, other than the residence of the person who is the owner of such animals, than a distance equal to the width of the lot upon which the animals are kept, or a minimum distance of 75 feet should the lot be 75 feet or more in width.”
The distance is to any neighbor's home. It equals your lot width, capped at 75 ft on lots 75 ft wide or wider, so on a 50 ft wide lot it is 50 ft.
Coop and run size
“All such houses, hutches, pens, stables, sheds, stalls and enclosures, wherever located, shall have a minimum floor space of four square feet per animal or bird over one month old.”
Also in this section
“Every person owning or keeping chickens or any other domestic fowl in the city is hereby required to keep such fowl and chickens under fence and not allow such chickens or fowl to run on any property other than said person's own property.”
“Live slaughter shall be prohibited.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Atlanta, GA metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to Georgia via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists Georgia 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 — Fairburn (#2627)
Fairburn — 8015 Senoia Rd, Fairburn, GA 30213. (770) 964-2082. Has a Feed Center. 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
Shepherd's Heart
Atlanta (mobile, house calls) — Mobile vet serving Atlanta and metro Atlanta, with no clinic address. Its services page says it sees chickens, ducks and other farm animals. Book through its website.
Verified 2026-10-21 against Sec. 14-8. Keeping of fowl and small domesticated animals—General regulations. at https://library.municode.com/ga/decatur/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIIICOOR_CH14AN_ARTIINGE_S14-8KEFOSMDOANENRE. Read the live code before you build or order birds.