Can You Legally Raise Chickens in Louisiana’s Largest Cities?

Picture it, it's a Sunday morning in the shadow of the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. You're walking toward Champions Square and you hear the unmistakable sound of... chickens? This scenario is not as surprising as you might think.

The recent uptick in prices for fresh eggs sent many Louisiana families to the Internet to see if there was a way that they could legally "grow their own". Besides the cost savings, there are many who would suggest that homegrown eggs are much healthier for humans than their mass-produced counterparts that have grown so expensive at the store.

Earlier this year egg egg-loving consumers in the United States were paying $4.82 for a dozen large Grade-A eggs. In many parts of the country, the prices have dropped a bit but here in Louisiana, the average price for a dozen eggs is $5.59, at least that was the average price in July of this year. This has led many urban gardeners to look into becoming urban farmers. In other words, they want to raise their own hens for the fresh eggs they produce.

Is It Legal To Raise Chickens in an Incorporated Town in Louisiana?

As you might imagine the answer to that question will vary from municipality to municipality. I would also imagine that if you live in a neighborhood with a Home Owner's Association there are by-laws that might restrict your plans as well.

Now, if you happen to live in one of Louisiana's smaller communities you're probably going to get less pushback on your chicken raising than if you live in one of our state's larger cities. However, you might be surprised to learn about the communities where chicken raising is allowed and which communities have laws that will curtail your plans.