Are Chickens Allowed in Lehigh Acres, Florida?

BySusan Medlin

If you live in Lehigh Acres, FL (Lee County), here’s what the current rules say about keeping backyard chickens (hens, coops, etc.). The legal situation is a bit restrictive — it depends a lot on your zoning, whether the county has approved recent changes, and what “district” your property is in. This guide will walk you through what is allowed, what is not, and what you should do before getting chickens.

What the Ordinances Say

  • According to recent news, backyard chickens are not allowed in Lehigh Acres under the unincorporated Lee County ordinances for most residential areas.
  • A proposed ordinance to allow chickens in residential zones of Lee County (including Lehigh Acres) was brought forward but failed to pass.
  • Backyard chickens are permitted in designated Agricultural (AG) zoning districts in Lee County. But if your property is zoned as standard residential, suburban, or RS-(residential) zoning, the county restrictions do not allow chickens.
  • The Lee County Animal Control Ordinance (Lee County Code § 34-1291 etc.) states that livestock including poultry (chickens) “may be permitted only as set forth in this division,” which sets clear limits on where and how chickens are allowed.

What “Zoning” Means Here

Zoning is key. If your lot is in an Agricultural zoning district, you have a better chance of being allowed to keep chickens under county rules. If instead your lot is in a residential subdivision (unincorporated or incorporated), the rules are more restrictive or outright forbid chickens. Some of the relevant zoning types mentioned are “AG” (Agricultural), “RS-4”, “RS-5”, etc.

What’s Not Allowed in Lehigh Acres (Unless You’re in AG Zoning)

  • Keeping chickens in most residential zones — standard single-family or suburban lots without agricultural zoning — is not permitted.
  • Ordinance proposals to change this have failed, meaning no legal pathway (yet) for residential lots without AG zoning to keep chickens.
  • Roosters or male chickens are generally not distinguished in much of the commentary, but since chickens are largely disallowed in non-AG zones, rooster use is not supported under existing permissions. There is no widely cited allowance for roosters in residential zones. (If you are in AG zoning, check local code to see if specific restrictions apply.)

What Is Allowed / Possible Scenarios

  • If your property is in an Agricultural (AG) zoned district of Lee County, you may be legally allowed to keep poultry (chickens). Coops or structures for housing them will likely have setback and location restrictions.
  • If you’re outside of AG zoning, but perhaps in an area very close to being AG or with large properties, you might investigate if there are exceptions or if your lot is grandfathered in. However, current county code does not favor allowing chickens in standard residential lots.
  • Lee County has been reported to allow backyard chickens in “designated agricultural districts” in unincorporated areas, under specific zoning. So, for some Lehigh Acres lots, this may apply.

Why the Restrictions Exist

There are several reasons Lee County (including Lehigh Acres) has not broadly allowed backyard chickens in residential zones:

  • Concerns about noise, odor, pests, and how that affects neighbors. Chickens and especially roosters can create complaints in dense residential areas.
  • Public health and animal control issues — ensuring coops are sanitary, that animals are properly housed, etc.
  • Zoning consistency — suburban or residential areas typically have different expectations for animal presence than agricultural or rural zones. Balancing resident expectations with agriculture use is often tricky.
  • Administrative / code enforcement burden. Allowing chickens broadly would require enforcement of coop upkeep, setbacks, and nuisance laws, which is more complex in densely populated or subdivided areas.

What to Do If You Want Chickens in Lehigh Acres

If you live in Lehigh Acres and want to keep chickens, here are some steps you can take to see if it might be legal or possibly become legal:

  1. Check your zoning designation — Find out if your lot is zoned AG (Agricultural) or another type that allows poultry. You can look up zoning maps via Lee County Planning & Zoning or get help from the County’s zoning office.
  2. Read the Lee County Code — Especially ordinances like the Animal Control Ordinance and any sections referencing “livestock,” “poultry,” or “small farm animals.” See if § 34-1291 or similar applies to your property.
  3. Contact Lee County Code Enforcement / Animal Control — Ask them specifically, “Can I keep X hens on my property address? What are the coop setback requirements if allowed?” Sometimes code enforcement can provide clarity or even approve case-by-case based on lot size or neighborhood density.
  4. If your property is residential and chickens are not allowed now, you could consider reaching out to your county commissioner or participating in public meetings where ordinances are discussed. There is a petition (as of 2025) asking for changes to allow chickens in residential Lee County, including Lehigh Acres.
  5. Consider the possibility of moving to or buying property that is zoned AG if keeping chickens is a priority for you.

Conclusion

In summary: No — for most residential properties in Lehigh Acres, chickens are not allowed under current Lee County ordinances. If your property is in a designated Agricultural zoning district, you may be permitted to keep chickens, subject to county rules (setbacks, coop placement, etc.).

If you tell me your exact address or zoning classification, I can check whether you personally are allowed chickens under current law. Want me to look that up for you in HTML format?