NC · verified 2026-10-21
Winston-Salem, NC
Short answerYes: the City of Winston-Salem code allows up to 5 birds; roosters are banned; the cited code does not mention a permit; and the coop setback is 20 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Winston-Salem corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Winston-Salem 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. 6-6. Keeping chickens or other fowl and pigeons.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 5 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Code does not mention a permit
- Setback
- 20 ft
Code cite: Sec. 6-6. Keeping chickens or other fowl and pigeons.
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Sec. 6-6. Keeping chickens or other fowl and pigeons.
How many hens
“The maximum number of chickens or other fowl that can be kept on any property within the corporate limits of the city shall be five.”
The five-bird limit counts chickens and any other fowl together.
Sec. 6-6. Keeping chickens or other fowl and pigeons.
Roosters
“All chickens shall be hens; no roosters are permitted.”
Permit and fee
Code does not mention a permit. Ask the city whether a permit is needed before you buy birds.
Sec. 6-6 no longer has a permit clause: subsections (e) and (f) are marked Reserved. Check with the city before you build in case a zoning or building permit applies to your coop or run.
Setback / screening
“The enclosed run for the keeping of chickens or other fowl and/or the enclosed run or coop for the keeping of pigeons shall be located in the rear yard and shall be no closer to the street than the rear yard of the dwelling or principal structure and at no time may be closer than 20 feet from any adjacent property line.”
Coop and run size
“The coop shall provide a minimum of three square feet of floor area per chicken and shall be a minimum of two feet in height per floor or level where chickens or other fowl are housed.”
Also in this section
Enclosed run
“Said enclosure shall be a minimum of four feet in height and must be enclosed on all sides and the top with wire mesh fencing.”
“The enclosed run shall provide at least ten square feet of run area per chicken or other fowl.”
“Any access gates or other access openings into the enclosed run shall be self-closing, self-latching and lockable.”
“The slaughter of chickens or other fowl for personal use is allowed only on the property where the chickens or fowl are kept.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Piedmont Triad, NC metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to North Carolina via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists North Carolina 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 — Greensboro (#2120)
Greensboro — 4104 South Elm Eugene St, Greensboro, NC 27406. (336) 333-3033. 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
No verified poultry vet yet
We have not confirmed a clinic here that says it treats chickens. Call local vets and ask before you need one.
Verified 2026-10-21 against Sec. 6-6. Keeping chickens or other fowl and pigeons. at https://library.municode.com/nc/winston-salem/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIIICOOR_CH6ANFO_S6-6KECHOTFOPI. Read the live code before you build or order birds.