Last year the Texas legislature looked at passing a state law allowing chickens to be raised by anyone as long as the coop was at least 10 feet from the owner’s residence and 20 feet from their neighbor’s property line. Households with less than a half acre would be limited to 6 hens(although municipalities could allow more) and with more than half an acre they could have up to a dozen. The bill SB1620 passed the Senate but would ultimately fail to come up for a vote in the House.
Right now in Maine, many places allow families living in town to raise chickens, however, not everyone does. A few years ago it was brought up in Bangor and was rejected. Meanwhile, residents of Portland, a larger and more crowded city can raise chickens. The reason? Hard telling not knowing, although it seems odd in the modern day and age that anyone could really object to backyard poultry. Egg prices are rising (organic eggs are up to $5 a dozen for factory farmed organic now and surpassing $6 a dozen for organic local eggs- even conventionally produced egg should surpass $2 a dozen this summer) and the interest in being more self-sufficient has been increasing in all sectors of society.
Local municipalities would still be able to set limits regarding chickens ability to free range as well as noise levels and housing restrictions. They could also set permit requirements and fees. However what they would not be able to do is cart blanche say no chickens allowed. Herbert Hoover once ran on putting a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage. Here in Maine- we seemed to have gotten it a bit skewed and instead of a car in every garage- it seems like we have one in every dooryard- maybe it’s time to put a chicken or two there as well.