Can I keep backyard chickens in North Yarmouth, Maine?
North Yarmouth's Land Use Ordinance has no backyard-chicken rules: there's no hen limit, rooster ban, coop setback or chicken permit, and nothing in it prohibits a home flock. This answer rests on that silence: the ordinance only addresses poultry as part of agriculture (keeping animals for sale), which is allowed without a permit in the Village Center, Village Residential, Farm and Forest and Residential Shoreland districts.
| Hen-specific rules (limit, roosters, coop setbacks) | None in the Land Use Ordinance [1] |
| Agriculture (includes poultry) | Allowed (A) in VC, VR, FF and Residential Shoreland; Planning Board site plan review in Resource Protection and the Groundwater overlay [2] |
| Commercial animal husbandry: uncovered manure | 150 ft from neighbors' homes; 300 ft from water or wells [3] |
| Groundwater Protection Overlay | Nutrient Management Plan; max 25 animal units per 10 acres [4] |
| New grazing areas in shoreland districts | Not within 100 ft of a water body or 25 ft of tributary streams [5] |
No backyard-flock rules
The ordinance doesn't mention backyard chickens, hens or roosters, and sets no limit on flock size, no coop setback and no chicken permit. Poultry comes up only through the definition of agriculture, which covers keeping plants and animals "for sale or lease," including poultry and livestock [1]. A flock kept just for your own eggs isn't clearly covered by that definition, but nothing in the ordinance prohibits it.
Agriculture by district
In the land use table, agriculture is an allowed use (no permit) in the Village Center, Village Residential, Farm and Forest and Residential Shoreland districts and the Royal River overlay. It needs Planning Board site plan review in the Resource Protection district and the Groundwater Protection overlay [2].
Commercial operations
Raising animals for commercial gain is "animal husbandry." Uncovered manure from a commercial operation must be kept 150 ft from neighbors' homes and 300 ft from any water body or well [3]. If neighbors complain about manure, noise, odor or vermin from a new operation near an older home, the Planning Board may limit the number and species of animals. In the Groundwater Protection Overlay, farming needs a Nutrient Management Plan and animals may not exceed 25 animal units (1,000 lbs live weight each) per 10 acres [4].
Near the water
In the Residential Shoreland and Resource Protection districts, new livestock grazing areas can't be within 100 ft of a water body or 25 ft of tributary streams, the Deer Brook wetland or Knight's Pond [5].
State law
Since September 2025 Maine has barred towns from banning hens on residential property; North Yarmouth's ordinance doesn't conflict with that. Deed covenants or HOA rules may still limit chickens.
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Next steps
- Check your zoning district; if you're in Resource Protection or the Groundwater Protection Overlay, ask the Code Enforcement Office whether a hobby flock needs review.
- Keep manure covered and away from wells and neighbors' homes, especially if you sell eggs.
- Check your deed or HOA rules for private restrictions on poultry.
- Call the Code Enforcement Office (207-829-3705 ext. 206) if you plan a large coop or barn, since accessory buildings over 200 sq ft or 15 ft tall need a permit.
Common questions
- Can I have chickens in North Yarmouth, Maine?
- Nothing in the Land Use Ordinance prohibits a home flock. It has no backyard-chicken rules, so this answer rests on that silence. Deed covenants or HOA rules may still limit chickens.
- How many hens can I have in North Yarmouth, Maine?
- The ordinance sets no limit on flock size. It also has no rooster ban, coop setback or chicken permit.
- Do I need a permit for chickens in North Yarmouth, Maine?
- No chicken permit is required by the ordinance. If you're in Resource Protection or the Groundwater Protection Overlay, ask the Code Enforcement Office whether a hobby flock needs review.
- Can I sell eggs or raise chickens commercially in North Yarmouth, Maine?
- Poultry comes up only as part of agriculture, which covers keeping animals for sale. Agriculture is allowed without a permit in the Village Center, Village Residential, Farm and Forest and Residential Shoreland districts.
Maine's backyard chicken law
Towns can't ban hens outright. Since September 24, 2025, state law (7 M.R.S. §219-D, from LD 1655) says a town or county may not adopt an ordinance that prohibits a person from keeping chickens on their own residential property.
- The law defines "chicken" as a female domesticated bird raised for meat or eggs. Fully mature roosters aren't covered, so towns can still ban or limit them.
- The law also says it does not limit a town's "home rule" authority. In practice towns appear to keep the power to regulate how hens are kept, such as how many, coop location and setbacks, and sanitation, as long as the rules don't amount to a ban. The law is new, and courts haven't yet tested how far towns can go.
- Older ordinances that ban chickens in some zones may still be on the books but conflict with this law. Ask your town how it's applying them.
Right to Farm. Maine's Right to Farm law (7 M.R.S. §151 et seq.) protects farm operations connected to the commercial production of agricultural products from nuisance claims. A small flock kept just for your own eggs likely isn't covered.
Private deed covenants or HOA rules aren't addressed by the law and may still limit chickens.
What the ordinance says
- Sec. XII Definitions, "Agriculture", Land Use Ordinance, p. 275
Agriculture: The production, boarding, keeping or maintenance for sale or lease of plants and/or animals, including but not limited to: forages and sod crops; grains and seed crops; dairy animals and dairy products; poultry and poultry products; livestock; fruits and vegetables; and ornamental and green house products.
- Table 7-1, Land Uses by Zoning District (Natural Resource Based Uses), Land Use Ordinance, p. 80
Agriculture16 A A A SPR A A SPR
- Sec. 8.11(A)(1), Land Use Ordinance, p. 109
Uncovered storage of manure shall be kept one hundred fifty (150) feet from the nearest residential dwelling other than the dwelling associated with the animal husbandry operation, and three hundred (300) feet from any body of water or well.
- Sec. 8.11(B)(1), Land Use Ordinance, p. 109
A Nutrient Management Plan must be provided for all farming activities. Such a plan shall describe how animals will be kept within the area, (the number of animals will in any case not exceed 25 animal units (1 unit =1000 lbs of live animal weight) per ten (10) acres of land), or how manure will be spread (no more than fifty (50) tons of manure to be used per ten (10) acres).
- Sec. 9.1(R)(5), Land Use Ordinance, p. 119
Newly established livestock grazing areas shall not be permitted within 100 feet from the normal high-water line of a water body, nor within twenty-five (25) feet, horizontal distance, of tributary streams, the Deer Brook wetland or Knight’s Pond.