Can You Have Chickens in Davie, Florida? Code and HOA Rules

The short answer, and the part nobody tells you

If you want a few backyard hens in Davie, you almost certainly can. I went straight to the Town of Davie land development code, and the rule that matters for a normal homeowner is short: up to three poultry can be kept as pets in every residential zoning designation, with no minimum lot size attached. That carve out is townwide. It does not care whether you sit on a quarter acre in a subdivision or five acres in horse country.

The catch is not the birds. It is where the coop goes, and what your deed says. Most buyers I talk to assume the number of chickens is the hard part. It is the easy part. The two things that actually decide whether you can keep hens on a given property are the forty foot structure setback in the code and the private covenant recorded against your lot. Those are the two questions to run before you buy, not after.

This guide walks the town code first, then the HOA reality, so you know exactly what to check before you close.

What the Town of Davie code actually allows

Poultry in Davie is governed by Chapter 12, the Land Development Code, not the animal control chapter. That distinction matters because the numbers live in Chapter 12 and a lot of online advice sends people to the wrong place.

Here is the tiered structure straight from Section 12-34(B).

Three pet poultry, townwide. Section 12-34(B)(2) provides that up to three poultry can be considered pets in all residential zoning designations. No minimum lot size is stated for this pet allowance. This is the lane most homeowners fall into.

A larger flock needs rural or agricultural zoning. The code allows up to ten rabbits and twenty five poultry, kept in a completely penned area, but that fuller allowance and the livestock allowance attach to specific districts with a minimum lot of 35,000 square feet. Section 12-34(B)(6) is explicit that raising poultry, along with horses, cattle, goats, sheep, and rabbits, is not permitted in any residential zoning district except RR, AG, A-1, and R-1.

Swine are out, with one odd exception. Section 12-34(B)(5) prohibits swine in all zoning districts, except for a single Vietnamese potbellied pig kept as a household pet.

Here is how the tiers line up.

| Where you sit | Poultry allowed | Minimum lot |

|—|—|—|

| Any residential zoning designation | Up to 3 as pets | None stated |

| RR, AG, A-1 and similar rural or ag districts | Up to 25, completely penned (plus up to 10 rabbits) | 35,000 sq ft |

| R-1 | Up to 5, completely penned (plus up to 10 rabbits) | 35,000 sq ft |

Source: Town of Davie Code, Section 12-34(B)(2) and (6).

One important boundary. I am not going to tell you that any named neighborhood is zoned A-1 or RR, because zoning in Davie runs parcel by parcel, not by subdivision name. The only reliable way to know a specific address is to check it directly, which I cover below.

The forty foot setback is the rule that actually decides feasibility

This is the part that trips up buyers on standard subdivision lots. Section 12-34(B)(1) requires that aviaries, roofed hutches, dog houses, and dog runs sit a minimum of forty feet from any property line in the RR, AG, A-1, R-1, R-2, MH, CC, RO, O, B-1, B-2, and B-3 districts, and that these structures are not permitted at all in the R-3, R-4, or R-5 districts.

Read that again, because the phrase that matters is every property line. A forty foot setback from all sides is easy on an acre in far western Davie in the 33330 ZIP code, where lots run large along the equestrian corridor. It is close to impossible on a typical fifty foot wide subdivision lot, where forty feet off each side line leaves no buildable space for a structure at all.

So the honest feasibility test is not how many hens the code allows. It is whether your lot is large enough to place a compliant coop. On acreage, this is a non issue. On a small platted lot, it can quietly end the plan. The code does not define the word coop, which is exactly why the setback, not a label, is the rule to build around, and the reason to confirm your specific parcel with the town before you commit. Buyers who want room for animals and structure without those constraints tend to look at Davie homes on acreage and the no HOA equestrian and lot rules on the western side of town.

The noise rule most neighbors do not know exists

Here is the single most useful fact in the entire code for a chicken owner. Under Section 15-7(3)(c), the town noise ordinance does not apply to poultry that are kept as pets, as long as the number of poultry kept as pets is within the allowable amount per Town Code.

In plain terms, if you stay within the three pet poultry allowance, your birds are affirmatively protected from a neighbor’s noise complaint under the town ordinance. That protection is written into the code, not left to interpretation. Step outside the allowed count and you lose it. This is the clearest reason to keep a pet flock small and squarely within the rule.

The HOA reality, and the garden trap

Everything above is the public code. It is only half the picture. The town code never overrides a recorded covenant. If your community has a homeowners association with restrictions recorded against the land, those private rules can prohibit chickens even where the town code allows them, and they usually win.

A lot of people have heard that Florida protects backyard gardens and assume the same shield covers chickens. It does not, and the garden law itself has a trap. Florida Statute 604.71 bars a county, municipality, or other political subdivision from regulating vegetable gardens on residential property. An HOA is a private corporation, not a political subdivision, so that statute does not bind your association at all. Your garden carries the same covenant risk as your birds. If you want the deeper zoning and classification detail, the Davie rural property FAQ breaks it down further.

The practical move is to read the covenant before you are under contract. Florida Statute 720.401 gives a buyer in a mandatory HOA community a disclosure summary before executing the contract, with a three day right to void if that summary was not provided. That right terminates at closing and cannot be waived, so it is only useful if you act on it early. Pull the recorded restrictions, search them for animal and livestock language, and if they are silent or restrictive, call the management company on the Town of Davie HOA directory before you fall in love with the house.

The hobby farm angle almost no buyer prices

If you are buying acreage and you care about protecting an existing agricultural use, Davie runs a Hobby Farm Determination and Recognition Program under Section 12-34(B)(9). It identifies and protects agricultural uses on land that is not classified as a farm under state law. Qualifying takes an ag use that is permitted in the district, identifiable farm products, at least half the parcel dedicated to the ag or hobby farm purpose, no unresolved code cases or liens on the activity, and membership in an ag association such as the Farm Bureau.

The benefit that matters at resale is this. The determination transfers administratively to the new owner on sale, with no re application, and any pre 2017 farm determination grandfathers in automatically. An existing hobby farm determination is a transferable asset that follows the property, and almost nobody prices it into an offer. On the right acreage parcel, it is worth asking the seller whether one is on file. You can start with the town’s Rural and Farmlife hub and the Davie Farm Guide for the program background.

How to confirm a specific property before you buy

Because zoning runs parcel by parcel, the only answer that counts is the one for your exact address. Here is the order I run it.

1. Look up the parcel on the Broward County Property Appraiser to confirm the land use and see the lot dimensions.

2. Check the zoning for that address on Davie Information Maps, the town’s Find Your District tool.

3. Call the Town of Davie Planning and Zoning office and confirm the poultry allowance and the forty foot coop setback for that specific lot.

4. Pull the recorded HOA covenant, if any, and read it for animal restrictions before your contract’s inspection or disclosure window closes.

Run those four in order and you will know, before you spend a dollar, whether the property can carry the flock you want. If you are weighing acreage options where this flexibility matters, the Davie acreage and equestrian homes page is where I keep the current single family listings with room for animals.

Frequently asked questions

How many chickens can you have in Davie, Florida?

Up to three poultry can be kept as pets in every residential zoning district in Davie, with no minimum lot size required. Properties in rural or agricultural districts on at least 35,000 square feet can keep up to twenty five poultry in a completely penned area, plus up to ten rabbits, under Section 12-34(B)(2).

Are roosters allowed in Davie?

The town code governs poultry by count and by the noise ordinance rather than by naming roosters. Under Section 15-7(3)(c), poultry kept as pets are exempt from the noise ordinance as long as the number stays within the allowable amount per Town Code. Practically, a rooster raises the odds of a neighbor complaint, and a recorded HOA covenant can still prohibit it regardless of the town rule.

Do I need a permit for a chicken coop in Davie?

The code does not define a coop, but Section 12-34(B)(1) requires aviaries and roofed hutches to sit at least forty feet from every property line in most districts, and prohibits them in the R-3, R-4, and R-5 districts. Because the setback and permitting depend on your exact lot, confirm with the Town of Davie Planning and Zoning office before you build.

Can my HOA ban chickens even if the town allows them?

Yes. The Town of Davie code never overrides a recorded covenant, so an HOA with animal restrictions can prohibit chickens even where the town code permits them. Florida’s garden protection statute does not apply to HOAs because an association is a private corporation, not a political subdivision.

Does a hobby farm determination transfer when the property sells?

Yes. Under Section 12-34(B)(9), a Town of Davie hobby farm determination transfers administratively to the new owner on sale with no re application, and any determination on file before 2017 grandfathers in automatically. It is a transferable asset that most buyers never price into an offer.

Thinking about a property with room for a flock?

Chickens are usually a green light in Davie. The deciding factors are lot size for the coop and the covenant on your deed, and both are knowable before you write an offer. If you are looking at acreage, equestrian, or no HOA property in Davie where animals and space are the point, I can pull the zoning, the lot dimensions, and the recorded restrictions on any address before you commit. Start with the questions above, then reach out and we will confirm the specific parcel together. Learn more about Anthony and how I work with acreage buyers.

Anthony Spitaleri, Broker Associate | Coldwell Banker

Serving Davie, Florida and Broward County

Phone: 954-235-5783

livingindavieflorida.com

Anthony Spitaleri is a Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker, one of the most established residential real estate brands, with approximately 2,700 offices globally, founded in 1906. A Davie native who returned home in 2025 after 13 years in Miami Beach, Anthony specializes in luxury homes and estates above $1 million, acreage and equestrian properties with no HOA, and relocation buyers moving to Davie from out of state. He created livingindavieflorida.com, the most in-depth independent Davie real estate resource available, with in-depth coverage of Davie’s gated communities, acreage and equestrian properties, and luxury estates, plus original weekly market data, interactive tools, Town Council recaps, and a 24/7 AI concierge. Anthony has been licensed in real estate since 2013 (BK3281907), is a Certified Strategic Coach through Coaching Services International (CSI), an active member of the Davie Cooper City Chamber of Commerce, and a weekly volunteer at Bit by Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in Davie.