Fayetteville, NC

[Moonchicken]

I don’t see anything recent about the local regulations on backyard chickens in Fayetteville, NC and Cumberland county’s website is no help. Where can I go to see what the current regulations on chickens are for the area I’m in?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I like this site - I don't guarantee its up to date, but it keyword searches reasonably well, which then gives you ordinance numbers to further search with.

Oddly, the County uses both "Poultry" and "Chicken" in its code. You need to know your zoning, of course, which you can determine thru the county tax appraiser's office and a GIS map or property records search.

You also want to look at this.

Hope that helps. I have a really slow connection thru my cell phone, can't do more at the moment.

 

[Moonchicken]

Thanks! That’s super helpful!

 

[Ducklingguy]

I don’t see anything recent about the local regulations on backyard chickens in Fayetteville, NC and Cumberland county’s website is no help. Where can I go to see what the current regulations on chickens are for the area I’m in?

This is a rather older post, but I’ll give my input on what I know.

I moved here to NC last year from Upstate NY, and I’m not too far from Fayetteville. I was looking at the regulations, codes, and...or zoning laws (???) today for my area.
I couldn’t make sense of some of it, as the info I was looking for pertaining to ducks and chickens was missing! I couldn’t find it anywhere.
The regulations was mostly about how to keep the animals, such as: ALL animals must have so and so much room to stand and move around, etc. Any compassionate animal lover, and responsible person knows this! I did however read we can have up to 5 chickens in one coop, if I understood correctly. You can have up to 3 dogs or cats without a permit, and something about pigs must be properly caged or pinned, etc.
I seen nothing about ducks or anything.
SOOOoooo, other than these regulations, I found nothing else for my area. I DO live outside city limits, and there were different regulations than in city, of course.

My research was inconclusive, altogether. I have six ducks here, and no one has said anything to me—not even ppl I know who have lived here for years.
I’m thinking it’s permissible as long as you’re a responsible owner.

Ducklingguy

 

[U_Stormcrow]

This is a rather older post, but I’ll give my input on what I know.

My research was inconclusive, altogether. I have six ducks here, and no one has said anything to me—not even ppl I know who have lived here for years.
I’m thinking it’s permissible as long as you’re a responsible owner.

Ducklingguy

If you performed a Keyword search, as I suggested, "chicken" would have immediately led you to "fowl".

Fowl means chickens, guineas, geese, ducks, pigeons, and other avian animals. (Section 3-10)

From that, you would know that any fowl must be restrained on ones property, as any other property owner can impound them at will if found on their own property (3-14). You would also find that they are in imminent danger of being declared "Nuisance" by an opposed neighbor, as the nuisance animal definition is quite broad. (3-15)


Sec. 3-15. - Nuisance animals; animals posing a threat to the public.

(a)[Definitions.](1)For the purposes of this section, "nuisance" means, but is not limited to, the conduct or behavior resulting from any act of omission or commission by the owner or keeper of any small or large animal, fowl, cat or dog which molests passersby or passing vehicles, damages private or public property; barks, whines, howls, crows, growls or makes other noises in an habitual or continuous fashion which annoys the comfort, repose, health or safety of the people in the community; is unconfined in season; defecates on the property of someone other than the owner; or eats or otherwise destroys the plants, shrubs or similar landscaping on the property of someone other than the owner.

(2)For the purposes of this section, "nuisance animal" means any animal that commits any of the acts, conduct or behaviors defined as constituting a nuisance in this section.

(b)[Keeping of nuisance animal prohibited.] No person shall keep any animal which is a nuisance animal or which causes a nuisance as defined in this section.

3-70 Refers you to another document about how to keep chickens, and further, lets you know that the laws regarding chicken keeping were amended in 2013.

It shall be unlawful to keep, house or pen chickens or rabbits on premises which fail to meet sanitary standards established by the Cumberland County Board of Health.
(Ord. of 6-17-2013(1))

3-75 tells you that there is a limit of 10 chickens on any property in any city (municipality) to which this code applies.

(c) No more than ten chickens or rabbits shall be kept, housed, or penned at a dwelling or on the lot on which such dwelling is located within the corporate limits of any municipality in which this chapter is applied.


and finally, the thing we didn't want to see -

APPENDIX A - ZONING[1]
Footnotes:
--- (1) ---
Editor's note— At the county's instruction the zoning ordinance is not set out herein but is on file and available for inspection in the office of the planning department of the county.

From here, you need to find out your specific property zoning at the planning department, then further investigate permitted and conditional uses.

...and I've not had my first cup of coffee yet. Good luck @Ducklingguy

 

[U_Stormcrow]

This appears to be a PDF of the current zoning, but I can't get it to load, as I'm still One Bar worth of cell phone signal. My residence is "remote", for all that I am in Florida. You should read it.

 

[Ducklingguy]

This is a rather older post, but I’ll give my input on what I know.

I moved here to NC last year from Upstate NY, and I’m not too far from Fayetteville. I was looking at the regulations, codes, and...or zoning laws (???) today for my area.
I couldn’t make sense of some of it, as the info I was looking for pertaining to ducks and chickens was missing! I couldn’t find it anyway.
The regulations was mostly about how to keep the animals, such as: ALL animals must have so and so much room to stand and mice around, etc. Any compassionate animal lover, and responsible person knows this! I did however read we can have up to 5 chickens in one coop, of I understood correctly. You can have up to 3 dogs or cats without a permit, and something about pigs must be properly caged, etc.
I seen nothing about ducks or anything.
SOOOoooo, other than these regulations, I found nothing else for my area. I DO live outside city limits, and there were different regulations than in city, of course.

My research was inconclusive, altogether. I have six ducks here, and no one has said anything to me—not even ppl I know who have lived here for years.
I’m thinking it’s permissible as long as you’re a responsible owner.

Ducklingguy

If you performed a Keyword search, as I suggested, "chicken" would have immediately led you to "fowl".

Fowl means chickens, guineas, geese, ducks, pigeons, and other avian animals. (Section 3-10)

From that, you would know that any fowl must be restrained on ones property, as any other property owner can impound them at will if found on their own property (3-14). You would also find that they are in imminent danger of being declared "Nuisance" by an opposed neighbor, as the nuisance animal definition is quite broad. (3-15)


Sec. 3-15. - Nuisance animals; animals posing a threat to the public.

(a)[Definitions.](1)For the purposes of this section, "nuisance" means, but is not limited to, the conduct or behavior resulting from any act of omission or commission by the owner or keeper of any small or large animal, fowl, cat or dog which molests passersby or passing vehicles, damages private or public property; barks, whines, howls, crows, growls or makes other noises in an habitual or continuous fashion which annoys the comfort, repose, health or safety of the people in the community; is unconfined in season; defecates on the property of someone other than the owner; or eats or otherwise destroys the plants, shrubs or similar landscaping on the property of someone other than the owner.

(2)For the purposes of this section, "nuisance animal" means any animal that commits any of the acts, conduct or behaviors defined as constituting a nuisance in this section.

(b)[Keeping of nuisance animal prohibited.] No person shall keep any animal which is a nuisance animal or which causes a nuisance as defined in this section.

3-70 Refers you to another document about how to keep chickens, and further, lets you know that the laws regarding chicken keeping were amended in 2013.

It shall be unlawful to keep, house or pen chickens or rabbits on premises which fail to meet sanitary standards established by the Cumberland County Board of Health.
(Ord. of 6-17-2013(1))

3-75 tells you that there is a limit of 10 chickens on any property in any city (municipality) to which this code applies.

(c) No more than ten chickens or rabbits shall be kept, housed, or penned at a dwelling or on the lot on which such dwelling is located within the corporate limits of any municipality in which this chapter is applied.


and finally, the thing we didn't want to see -

APPENDIX A - ZONING[1]
Footnotes:
--- (1) ---
Editor's note— At the county's instruction the zoning ordinance is not set out herein but is on file and available for inspection in the office of the planning department of the county.

From here, you need to find out your specific property zoning at the planning department, then further investigate permitted and conditional uses.

...and I've not had my first cup of coffee yet. Good luck @Ducklingguy

Oh yes! Lol we must not forget the offended neighbor who is bored looking for trouble.

Lol fortunately, I live on enough property where I’m “kinda” away from so many people. There’s a big subdivision down my road, but it’s far off enough where my animals shouldn’t be a nuisance to them.
Never mind though I have to listen to their screaming and loud children playing in the backyard

I’d rather hear the ducks quack

I think I’m good here where I’m at.
Be well,
Ducklingguy

 

[Ducklingguy]

This appears to be a PDF of the current zoning, but I can't get it to load, as I'm still One Bar worth of cell phone signal. My residence is "remote", for all that I am in Florida. You should read it.

I’m in a remote area as well, but it’s not far from a subdivision. Hard to explain this area I’m in. It’s as if it’s a country road in the middle of town, yet outside city limits.
Up in NY, I was living in a smaller house with no land—house to house to house. Couldn’t have any animals but dogs or cats. It sucked.
There was very beautiful country in Upstate, but I wasn’t living in it.

So, it’s a big difference to me having the privilege to own acres of land and getting to keep ducks and chickens. If you’ve never lived in a city, you’ll never know how good you have it in the country!
Or, at least that’s how I see it.

Ducklingguy

 

[U_Stormcrow]

We were in the Austin, TX area previously. and the Greater Tampa. FL MSA before that. Spent half a year looking for this piece of property, and another half year+ negotiating for it.

Not going back.