Mississippi Backyard Chicken Laws: Permits, Limits & Setbacks by City and County

Overview of Mississippi Chicken Laws

Can I keep chickens in a Mississippi city or neighborhood?

Generally yes. The state does not ban backyard chickens. Your city or county may cap the flock, require a permit, set coop setbacks, or restrict roosters.

How many chickens can I keep?

There is no statewide flock limit. The number depends on your city, county, zoning, and sometimes lot size. Roosters are restricted more often than hens.

Important: Always verify with the city or county and any HOA.

Mississippi Major Cities Rules

Refer to our Official Sources below for data integrity.

Jackson, MS

Hen Limit: Not specified | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: Not specified

Gulfport, MS

Hen Limit: Up to 2 fowl without a permit (more by permit) | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Required for more than 2 | Setback: 300 ft from property lines

Southaven, MS

Hen Limit: Not specified | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: 250 ft from any residence (except agricultural zoning)

Hattiesburg, MS

Hen Limit: Poultry treated as livestock; A-1 zoning required | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: Per A-1 zoning

Biloxi, MS

Hen Limit: Up to 2 fowl (more if 150 ft from property lines or by special permit) | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Special permit for more than 2 without the setback | Setback: 150 ft from adjoining property lines if over 2

Olive Branch, MS

Hen Limit: Up to 10 poultry per acre (min. 1 acre; AR zoning only) | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: AR zone; premises must be 1 acre or more

Tupelo, MS

Hen Limit: Not specified | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: 1 acre and 250 ft from any residence, or a pen not over 200 sq ft

Meridian, MS

Hen Limit: Not specified | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: 100 ft from another residence

Pearl, MS

Hen Limit: Up to 2 fowl (more if 150 ft from property lines or by special permit) | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Special permit for more than 2 without the setback | Setback: 150 ft from adjoining property lines if over 2 (exempt on unplatted or 3+ acre tracts)

Madison, MS

Hen Limit: Not allowed in residential subdivisions; ag zoning only | Roosters: Not Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: 200 ft from adjoining lines/ROW if more than 2 fowl (ag districts)

Mississippi Ordinances by City & County

Not specified means the city code does not set that number. No published ordinance means no hen, rooster, permit, or setback rule was found in the city’s posted code.

Adams County, MS

Natchez, MS

Natchez, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Alcorn County, MS

Corinth, MS

Corinth, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Attala County, MS

Kosciusko, MS

Kosciusko, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Bolivar County, MS

Cleveland, MS

Cleveland, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Clay County, MS

West Point, MS

West Point, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Coahoma County, MS

Clarksdale, MS

Clarksdale, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

DeSoto County, MS

Hernando, MS

Hernando, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Horn Lake, MS

Hen Limit: Not specified | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: 250 ft from any residence

Forrest County, MS

Petal, MS

Petal, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Grenada County, MS

Grenada, MS

Grenada, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Hancock County, MS

Bay St. Louis, MS

Bay St. Louis, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Diamondhead, MS

Diamondhead, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Waveland, MS

Waveland, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Harrison County, MS

D'Iberville, MS

D'Iberville, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Long Beach, MS

Long Beach, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Pass Christian, MS

Pass Christian, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Hinds County, MS

Byram, MS

Byram, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Clinton, MS

Hen Limit: Up to 10 hens on 3+ acre RE lots (max 2 unless 150 ft setback) | Roosters: Not Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: 150 ft from adjoining lines/ROW if more than 2

Jackson County, MS

Gautier, MS

Gautier, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Moss Point, MS

Moss Point, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Ocean Springs, MS

Hen Limit: Not specified | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Required | Setback: 5 ft from road/property line; 10 ft from neighboring line; 20 ft from neighboring dwelling

Pascagoula, MS

Hen Limit: Not specified | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: 100 ft from another residence

Jones County, MS

Laurel, MS

Laurel, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Lafayette County, MS

Oxford, MS

Hen Limit: Not specified | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: Not specified

Lee County, MS

Saltillo, MS

Saltillo, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Leflore County, MS

Greenwood, MS

Greenwood, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Lincoln County, MS

Brookhaven, MS

Brookhaven, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Lowndes County, MS

Columbus, MS

Hen Limit: Not specified | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Not required | Setback: Not specified

Madison County, MS

Canton, MS

Canton, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Ridgeland, MS

Ridgeland, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Marion County, MS

Columbia, MS

Columbia, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Marshall County, MS

Holly Springs, MS

Holly Springs, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Monroe County, MS

Amory, MS

Amory, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Neshoba County, MS

Philadelphia, MS

Philadelphia, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Oktibbeha County, MS

Starkville, MS

Starkville, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Panola County, MS

Batesville, MS

Batesville, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Pearl River County, MS

Picayune, MS

Picayune, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Pike County, MS

McComb, MS

McComb, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Pontotoc County, MS

Pontotoc, MS

Pontotoc, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Prentiss County, MS

Booneville, MS

Booneville, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Rankin County, MS

Brandon, MS

Brandon, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Flowood, MS

Flowood, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Richland, MS

Richland, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Scott County, MS

Forest, MS

Forest, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Sunflower County, MS

Indianola, MS

Indianola, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Tate County, MS

Senatobia, MS

Senatobia, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Tippah County, MS

Ripley, MS

Ripley, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Union County, MS

New Albany, MS

New Albany, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Warren County, MS

Vicksburg, MS

Hen Limit: Up to 2 fowl (more if 150 ft from property lines or by special permit) | Roosters: Allowed | Permit: Special permit for more than 2 without the setback | Setback: 150 ft from adjoining property lines if over 2

Washington County, MS

Greenville, MS

Greenville, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Winston County, MS

Louisville, MS

Louisville, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Yazoo County, MS

Yazoo City, MS

Yazoo City, MS has no publicly available ordinance data for hen limits, roosters, permits, or setbacks.

Rural and Unincorporated Areas

Outside city limits, Mississippi usually does not set a hen cap. Roosters are often allowed. A county or state permit is rarely required for a small home flock.

County zoning, subdivision covenants, and HOAs can still limit or ban birds. State health and biosecurity rules still apply. Confirm with the county planning office for your parcel.

Zoning, Permits, Coops, and HOAs

Cities and counties set flock size, setbacks, and whether a poultry permit is required. Rural lots often need none. A coop is an accessory structure; a building permit may apply if it is over the local size threshold.

HOAs and deed covenants can ban chickens even when the city allows them. Check the zoning map, animal code, and CC&Rs for your address before you buy birds.

Verify: city or county zoning, animal control, and your HOA.

Selling Backyard Eggs in Mississippi

Small on-farm sales of ungraded eggs to the end buyer usually need no MDAC license if you follow sanitation and labeling rules. Cartons should say they are ungraded and not for resale, and include safe-handling text.

Selling more eggs, selling off the farm, or selling to stores can trigger the Mississippi Shell Egg Law and MDAC registration. Confirm with MDAC before you sell.

Mississippi Poultry Slaughter Rules

Birds killed only for your household generally need no inspection if the meat is not sold.

Selling meat is different. Federal exemptions may allow limited on-farm processing (commonly discussed as the 1,000-bird and 20,000-bird exemptions), with extra MDAC rules as volume grows. Meat that enters commerce must meet state and federal inspection, labeling, and sanitation rules.

Slaughter and waste must stay on your property and stay sanitary. Check MDAC before you process birds for sale.

Essential Guides for Backyard Chicken Success

Mississippi heat, humidity, raccoons, foxes, hawks, coyotes, snakes, and opossums are the usual problems. Use a predator-proof coop with strong ventilation.

See our high-ventilation coop plans and the Backyard Chicken Coop Management Guide.

Official Sources

City and county rules come from posted codes on ecode360.com, municode.com, and local government sites at the time of publication.

Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce

Mississippi Board of Animal Health

If a city has no posted hen, rooster, permit, or setback rule, we say so. That does not mean chickens are banned. See the disclaimer.