Eustis approves backyard chickens in two-year pilot program
Eustis opened a two-year backyard-chicken pilot, capping flocks at three hens and 15 permits citywide, with roosters banned and fees set at $75.
Eustis residents can now apply to keep backyard hens under a new two-year pilot program that limits flocks to three hens per property and bars roosters entirely. The City Commission approved Ordinance 25-37 on a 3-2 vote on Nov. 6, 2025, giving chicken keepers a narrow, rules-heavy path to start a flock in town.
The Residential Backyard Chickens Program comes with a hard cap of 15 permits citywide at any given time. Applicants must pay a $75 application fee, then $25 each year to renew, and permits expire each Sept. 30 unless renewed. The ordinance also forbids slaughtering hens, making the program squarely about eggs, not meat birds.
Coop placement and design matter as much as the permit. Coops and runs must stay in the backyard, be screened, and sit at least 5 feet from property lines and 20 feet from homes on adjacent lots. The city also tied approval to day-to-day care standards, saying hens cannot create odors, pests, noise or other nuisances.
The ordinance makes clear that backyard chickens are a regulated privilege, not a right, and permits can be revoked for cause. It also says the pilot will automatically continue beyond the two-year term unless the commission repeals or amends it, with future continuation tied to compliance, the absence of nuisance problems, cost-effective enforcement and community benefit.
Eustis framed the program around sustainability, neighborhood compatibility and efficient site design, along with residents’ interest in household food production and educational use. Anthony Sabatini celebrated the approval on social media after the vote, while the commission’s narrow split showed that even a modest flock limit still drew debate.
Eustis is not moving alone. Clermont approved backyard chickens earlier in 2025, and the practice is already allowed in Winter Garden, Orlando and St. Cloud. For residents who have been sketching coop plans and measuring fence lines, the new ordinance turns that long-running wish list into a specific checklist: three hens, no roosters, a screened backyard coop, and a permit before the flock ever arrives.
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