Edgewater moves closer to allowing backyard hens under strict rules

Edgewater leaders moved a backyard-chicken ordinance to second reading and a public hearing Monday night. The draft would allow only female chickens, keep roosters banned, and bar any commercial use, including selling eggs.

The proposed limits turn on lot size. Smaller residential parcels could keep up to five hens, while larger properties could keep up to seven. Coops would have to sit in backyards and meet setback requirements from neighboring homes, and officials want the structures maintained so they do not create odor or pest problems. The city would also require a $25 permit before anyone could keep hens, along with an initial inspection to check compliance.

The ordinance addresses residents already keeping hens at home. The city code now says it is unlawful to keep chickens unless they are on property appropriately zoned and lawfully permitted. Edgewater Code Enforcement, which handles property upkeep, zoning, fire safety and building construction compliance, would enforce the measure if it becomes law.

Homeowners would still need to check HOA covenants and lease agreements, both of which could prohibit chickens even if the city signs off.

Orlando already allows hens under its own rules. Winter Garden already allows hens under its own rules. Clermont already allows hens under its own rules. Clermont approved a backyard-chicken ordinance in February 2025 that allows five hens per single-family home, with no roosters and no sale of eggs or meat, plus requirements for food, water and a coop. In Casselberry, backyard chickens have become a flash point after a resident faced fines over four hens and a supporting petition topped 750 signatures.