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Metro Atlanta

Alpharetta passes law allowing backyard chickens

A rooster roams in the backyard of a home on Farm Street in Bastrop in the Farm Street Historic Chicken Sanctuary on Monday December 4, 2017. JAY JANNER / AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Credit: Jay Janner

Credit: Jay Janner

A rooster roams in the backyard of a home on Farm Street in Bastrop in the Farm Street Historic Chicken Sanctuary on Monday December 4, 2017. JAY JANNER / AMERICAN-STATESMAN
By Adrianne Murchison
June 24, 2020

Alpharettans can now have backyard chickens. City Council passed a new law, Monday, allowing as many as six chickens on a minimum one-acre lot on residential property. Fulton County requires a 25-foot setback from the street.

Residents were persistent for years in asking the city to change zoning for chickens. Before the new law went into effect, chickens were only permitted on Alpharetta property zoned for agriculture.

Roosters are not included in the new zoning.

Roswell, Milton and Johns Creek had already allowed backyard chickens on various lot sizes. Milton zoning permits 12 chickens on an acre of land. And Johns Creek allows 75 chickens on any size lot.

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Adrianne Murchison
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