Can I keep backyard chickens in Windham, Maine?
Yes, in Windham's Farm, Farm-Residential, Light-Density Residential and Medium-Density Residential districts. You can keep up to 12 hens per lot, and roosters aren't allowed. A new henhouse needs a building permit and must meet the zone's side and rear setbacks, and it can't go in the front setback.
| Districts allowed | Farm (F), Farm-Residential (FR), Light-Density Residential (RL), Medium-Density Residential (RM) [1] |
| Max chickens | 12 per lot [2] |
| Roosters | Not allowed (female chickens only) [3] |
| Permit | Building permit for a new henhouse [4] |
| Henhouse location | Not in the front setback [8] |
| Henhouse side/rear setback | Must meet the zone's normal side or rear setback (distances in Ch. 120, not reviewed) [5] |
| Space | 4 sq ft henhouse floor and 10 sq ft pen per chicken [6] |
| Pen fencing | Wire buried at least 12 inches, covered top [7] |
Where and how many
Windham's Animals chapter (Chapter 15) has an article on keeping a small number of hens on a noncommercial basis. Hens are allowed only in the residential zoning districts: Farm, Farm-Residential, Light-Density Residential and Medium-Density Residential [1]. The limit is 12 chickens per lot, no matter how many dwelling units are on the lot [2]. Only female chickens are allowed, and any breed is fine [3]. Thirteen or more chickens over six months old count as a poultry facility under the Land Use Ordinance (§120-504), which we couldn't review.
Henhouse
You need a building permit for a new henhouse [4]. You can convert an existing shed or garage instead if it meets the standards. A henhouse can't sit in the zone's front setback [8] and must meet the normal side and rear setbacks [5]. The Land Use Ordinance sets those distances, and we couldn't download it. Henhouses must be fully enclosed, with a roof and doors that lock at night. Siding and roofing must match the surrounding area. Each chicken needs at least 4 sq ft of floor space [6].
Pen and fencing
You need an enclosed pen of sturdy wire buried at least 12 inches deep and covered with wire, netting or a roof [7]. It must provide at least 10 sq ft per chicken, not counting the henhouse. If the hens roam during the day, the area must be fenced so they can't get out. Chickens must be fenced in at all times.
Upkeep
Feed goes in rodent-proof containers. Stored manure is limited to 3 cubic feet and must be kept covered. Exterior henhouse lights must be motion-activated, with full-cutoff fixtures. The Code Enforcement Officer can order the chickens removed for violations.
State law
Maine law now bars towns from prohibiting hens on residential property. Windham's limit to four residential districts may be overridden for homes in other districts. Ask the town how it applies the rule.
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Next steps
- Confirm with the Windham Code Enforcement Department that your lot is in the F, FR, RL or RM district, and get the side and rear setbacks for that zone.
- Apply for a building permit for a new henhouse, or confirm that an existing shed or garage meets the standards.
- Size the henhouse at 4 sq ft and the pen at 10 sq ft per bird, with the pen wire buried 12 inches and covered.
- Plan covered manure storage (3 cubic feet max) and rodent-proof feed containers.
Common questions
- Can I have chickens in Windham, Maine?
- Yes, in the Farm, Farm-Residential, Light-Density Residential and Medium-Density Residential districts. You can keep up to 12 hens per lot. A new henhouse needs a building permit.
- Can I have a rooster in Windham, Maine?
- No. Only female chickens are allowed.
- How far does a henhouse have to be from the property line in Windham, Maine?
- A henhouse can't sit in the front setback and must meet the zone's normal side and rear setbacks. The Land Use Ordinance sets those distances, and we couldn't review it.
- What does a chicken pen need in Windham, Maine?
- An enclosed pen of sturdy wire buried at least 12 inches deep and covered with wire, netting or a roof, with at least 10 sq ft per chicken. Each chicken needs at least 4 sq ft of henhouse floor space.
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
- Ch. 15, Animals, Keeping of Chickens article (applicability, subsection B), Animals (Chapter 15), p. 1
Chickens governed by the standards of this article shall only be kept in residential zoning districts. These include the Farm (F), Farm-Residential (FR), Light-Density Residential (RL), and Medium-Density Residential (RM) Districts.
- Ch. 15, Keeping of Chickens (number, subsection A), Animals (Chapter 15), p. 1
The maximum number of chickens allowed is 12 per lot, regardless of how many dwelling units are on the lot.
- Ch. 15, Keeping of Chickens (number, subsection B), Animals (Chapter 15), p. 1
Only female chickens are allowed. There is no restriction on chicken species.
- Ch. 15, Keeping of Chickens, Structures A(2), Animals (Chapter 15), p. 1
A building permit is required for a new henhouse.
- Ch. 15, Keeping of Chickens, Structures A(4), Animals (Chapter 15), p. 1
Henhouses must meet the normal side or rear setback for the zoning district of Chapter 120 in which it is located.
- Ch. 15, Keeping of Chickens, Structures A(7), Animals (Chapter 15), p. 1
Henhouses shall provide a minimum of four square feet of floor area per chicken.
- Ch. 15, Keeping of Chickens, Fencing B(1), Animals (Chapter 15), p. 1
An enclosed chicken pen must be provided, consisting of sturdy wire fencing buried at least 12 inches in the ground. The chicken pen must be covered with wire, aviary netting, or solid roofing.
- Ch. 15, Keeping of Chickens, Structures A(3), Animals (Chapter 15), p. 1
Henhouses shall not be located in a front setback established in the applicable zoning district of Chapter 120.