GA · verified 2026-10-21
Dunwoody, GA
Short answerYes: the City of Dunwoody code allows up to 6 birds; roosters are banned; a permit is required, but the code lists no fee; and the coop setback is 15 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Dunwoody corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Dunwoody corporate limits only. An HOA or neighborhood covenant can still ban hens. Those private rules are usually not public, so HenCheck does not look them up.
Primary source: Sec. 27-176. Chickens in single-family residence districts
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 6 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Permit required, fee not listed in the code
- Setback
- 15 ft
Code cite: Sec. 27-176. Chickens in single-family residence districts
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Sec. 27-176. Chickens in single-family residence districts
How many hens
“No more than six chickens shall be kept on any lot in the City of Dunwoody.”
Lots under 10,000 sq ft cannot keep chickens.
Sec. 27-176. Chickens in single-family residence districts
Roosters
“The keeping and raising roosters, crowing hens, ducks, geese, turkeys and other poultry or fowl are prohibited in the City of Dunwoody.”
Permit and fee
“A person seeking to keep and raise chickens on a single-family property shall first submit a complete application to the community development department.”
You need zoning approval first, with a site plan showing the coop and run. The code does not list a fee; ask Community Development.
Setback / screening
“Coops and runs must be setback no less than 35 feet from the rear property line and no less than 15 feet from side property lines.”
15 ft from side lines, 35 ft from the rear line and 20 ft from a corner side line, in the rear yard only.
Coop and run size
“Coops shall not exceed six feet in height above grade and must allow for a footprint of at least two square feet per chicken housed in the coop.”
Also in this section
Coop and run size
“The maximum size of the total coop and run area shall be 100 square feet.”
“No chickens may be kept on lots under 10,000 square feet.”
“Coops and runs must be located in the rear yard of the lot.”
“The minimum ground space required per chicken in a run is five square feet.”
“Chickens shall not be slaughtered on premises.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Atlanta, GA metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to Georgia via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists Georgia among the states it ships to, with chicks going out Mondays and Wednesdays from February to August and Wednesdays only from August to late October. Order sexed pullets if your city bans roosters or does not address them.
Feed store
Tractor Supply — Fairburn (#2627)
Fairburn — 8015 Senoia Rd, Fairburn, GA 30213. (770) 964-2082. Has a Feed Center. Store page lists livestock feed and farm supplies, including chicken coops, waterers and feeders.
Coop
OverEZ Medium Chicken Coop with Wooden 8 ft Chicken Run
Dimensions: Coop 50¼ in L × 52½ in W × 62¼ in H (includes nesting box), sized by OverEZ for up to 10 chickens; Wooden 8 ft run 8 ft W × 8 ft L × 6 ft 3 in H
Price: Coop $1,699.00 (Classic or Coastal finish; the Farmhouse finish was out of stock); Wooden 8 ft run $1,899.00. Prices as shown on overezchickencoop.com on 2026-10-21. OverEZ lists its smaller 5-chicken coop as out of stock.
The coop footprint is about 4.2 ft × 4.4 ft and the run is 8 ft × 8 ft, so with the coop at the end of the run plan on roughly 8 ft × 12.5 ft. Measure your setback from the cited code before you pick a spot, and check any height limit: the run is 6 ft 3 in tall. OverEZ ships coops and runs by tractor-trailer freight to the end of your driveway; homes on islands or on roads a truck cannot reach may need to pick up at a freight terminal.
Vet
Shepherd's Heart
Atlanta (mobile, house calls) — Mobile vet serving Atlanta and metro Atlanta, with no clinic address. Its services page says it sees chickens, ducks and other farm animals. Book through its website.
Verified 2026-10-21 against Sec. 27-176. Chickens in single-family residence districts at https://library.municode.com/ga/dunwoody/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH27ZO_ARTIIIUSUECRE_DIV3ACUS_S27-176CHSIMIREDI. Read the live code before you build or order birds.