NC · verified 2026-10-21
Thomasville, NC
Short answerYes: the City of Thomasville 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 50 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Thomasville corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Thomasville 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. 10-1. Keeping poultry.
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
- 50 ft
Code cite: Sec. 10-1. Keeping poultry.
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Sec. 10-1. Keeping poultry.
How many hens
“Any person owning or having in his possession or being in charge of any chickens, pheasants or any other fowl or poultry shall keep the poultry or fowl in an enclosure such as a fenced-in lot or yard.”
Thomasville's code allows poultry but sets no number.
Sec. 10-1. Keeping poultry.
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
“Such buildings may not be located within 50 feet of buildings of adjoining property owners.”
Measured to buildings on neighboring lots, not the property line.
Also in this section
“The owner or person in charge of such poultry or fowl shall maintain adequate buildings for housing such poultry or fowl, which buildings shall at all times be maintained in a sanitary manner.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Piedmont Triad, 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 — Greensboro (#2120)
Greensboro — 4104 South Elm Eugene St, Greensboro, NC 27406. (336) 333-3033. 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
No verified poultry vet yet
We have not confirmed a clinic here that says it treats chickens. Call local vets and ask before you need one.
Verified 2026-10-21 against Sec. 10-1. Keeping poultry. at https://library.municode.com/nc/thomasville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH10AN_ARTIINGE_S10-1KEPO. Read the live code before you build or order birds.