Coppell council directs staff to study ordinance allowing backyard egg‑laying hens
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Summary
Council members discussed proposed rules for backyard egg‑laying hens, including limits, no‑rooster restrictions and possible permitting; staff was directed to research other cities’ policies and return with a draft ordinance and resource needs.
Council Member Walker proposed that the city prepare an ordinance to allow egg‑laying hens in residential yards and asked staff to draft language for council consideration.
The proposal, introduced at a June 24 special‑call meeting of the Coppell City Council, sought to permit hens while prohibiting roosters, establish enclosure and setback requirements, and set household limits tied to lot size. “What I’m proposing is 4 hens per household for lots less than 7,500 square feet and up to 6 hens for lots 7,500 square feet or larger,” Walker said, adding that many residents already keep hens without guidance.
Supporters on the council cited educational and local‑food benefits and examples from nearby cities that allow backyard hens with guardrails. Council Member Ramesh asked that neighbors be given enforcement tools for non‑HOA neighborhoods; Walker and other members discussed sanitation, noise, predator protection and the high initial cost of proper coops. Council members suggested using Texas A&M guidance for density and including visibility and aesthetic limits so coops are not visible from the street.
Staff described two main regulatory approaches discussed by other North Texas cities: registration/permit systems (Carrollton was cited as requiring permits) and simple allowance with nuisance enforcement. Several councillors said a permitting path would create a registry and inspection point that would aid enforcement and neighbor complaints, similar to the city’s dog permit approach. “At that point, you can identify…registered chickens. If there are complaints or violations…we can think it’s probably easier to keep track of that,” one council member said.
Mayor Wes Mays summarized the discussion and said four council members indicated support for staff to return with an ordinance proposal and additional information on enforcement resource needs. City Manager Tracy Leech later told the council staff had received direction to conduct additional due diligence and bring back information to continue the discussion.
Council members repeatedly emphasized that homeowners association rules would still apply; where an HOA prohibits hens, the HOA restriction would remain controlling for those properties.
The council did not adopt any ordinance or motion at the meeting. Instead, members directed staff to prepare a draft ordinance, collect best practices from peer cities, estimate enforcement workload and permit‑processing needs, and return for a future workshop or council meeting.
The council flagged specific topics for staff research: permit vs. no‑permit models, setbacks and visibility standards, maximum birds per lot or per square foot, sanitation requirements and animal‑control enforcement procedures. Several members also asked staff to consult animal services about complaint handling and resource capacity.
The item will return to council after staff completes the comparative review and prepares a draft ordinance and cost/operations estimate.
