Pasco staff propose backyard‑chicken ordinance for noncommercial residential use

Pasco County planning staff told the Planning Commission on July 24 that they are drafting a "backyard chicken" land development code amendment to allow household chicken coops in residential districts that currently prohibit livestock for noncommercial, household use. The proposal matters to residents who seek small-scale food production and to neighborhoods weighing impacts such as noise and animal waste; staff said the draft will include limits to avoid commercial operations in residential areas. In the meeting, staff described the draft as allowing chickens for family needs in appropriate residential districts (for example, low‑density single‑family zones), not for profit. A staffer noted that if a resident wanted to sell eggs in Florida they would need a Small Egg Producer Permit and a Food Outlet Permit, and that those permits impose separate state or county requirements beyond zoning. Staff said common elements of similar ordinances include prohibiting roosters, restricting slaughter on private property and setting coop-location and setback rules. The department set a target to present the backyard‑chicken ordinance to the Planning Commission on Sept. 4, 2025. No ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff said they will prepare a draft and bring it back for formal review and public hearing on the target date.