Can I keep backyard chickens in Natick, Massachusetts?
Yes, with a Board of Health permit. You can keep up to 6 hens. Roosters aren't allowed. The hen house or yard must be at least 50 feet from any dwelling and 15 feet from property and street lines. The permit expires every April 30 and must be renewed.
| Permit | Board of Health permit required for any livestock, including poultry [1] |
| Max number | 6 chickens per premises (more only by Board of Health variance) [2] |
| Roosters | Not allowed (roosters or cockerels) [3] |
| Hen house / yard setbacks | 50 ft from any dwelling; 15 ft from property lines and street lines [4] |
| Permit term | Expires every April 30 [5] |
| Renters | Need documentation that the property owner doesn't object [6] |
| Coop plans | Board of Health must review plans for a new or altered animal structure [7] |
| Zoning 'Farm' use | Special permit in RG and RS; not allowed in RM [8] |
Board of Health permit
Natick regulates backyard poultry through Board of Health Regulation Chapter 6 (effective May 15, 2024). No one may keep livestock or bees without a permit from the Board of Health [1], and "livestock" includes poultry and other fowl. The regulation says the Board will set up procedures to notify abutting owners. Permits expire every April 30 [5]. If you rent, you must show that the property owner doesn't object [6].
Limits
- No more than 6 chickens per premises unless the Board grants a variance [2].
- No roosters or cockerels [3].
- Birds must stay confined to your property, and slaughter is prohibited outside licensed facilities.
Where the coop goes
No hen house or yard may be within 50 feet of any dwelling, or within 15 feet of a property line or street line, unless the Board of Health gives special permission. The Board can also require larger distances [4]. Before you build or alter a coop, submit a plan to the Board for review and approval [7]. The coop also has to meet zoning setbacks for accessory structures (see Sheds).
Zoning
The zoning Use Regulation Schedule lists "Farm" (raising and keeping animals, and selling products including eggs) as a special permit use in the RG and RS districts. It is not allowed in RM [8]. Exempt agriculture under state law (c. 40A, §3) is allowed everywhere. The bylaw doesn't say whether a small non-commercial backyard flock counts as a "Farm." Ask the Building Department.
Other animals
Chapter 6 covers all livestock (goats, sheep, swine and more) and bees under the same permit. Beekeepers need training documentation. The general bylaw's pet rules (Art. 50, §16) don't apply to livestock or fowl.
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Next steps
- Check that your coop location can be 50 ft from every dwelling (including neighbors') and 15 ft from property and street lines.
- Apply to the Natick Board of Health for a permit to keep livestock, with a plan of the coop and run. Include the landlord's written consent if you rent.
- Ask the Building Department (508-647-6450) whether your flock is treated as a zoning 'Farm' use in your district and which setbacks apply to the coop.
- Renew the permit before it expires each April 30.
Common questions
- Can I have chickens in Natick, Massachusetts?
- Yes, with a Board of Health permit. You can keep up to 6 hens, and the permit expires every April 30.
- Are roosters allowed in Natick, Massachusetts?
- No. Natick's Board of Health regulation doesn't allow roosters or cockerels.
- How far does a chicken coop have to be from the house in Natick, MA?
- The hen house or yard must be at least 50 feet from any dwelling and 15 feet from property and street lines, unless the Board of Health gives special permission.
- Do I need a zoning permit for backyard chickens in Natick, Massachusetts?
- It's unclear. Zoning lists a "Farm" as a special permit use in RG and RS and not allowed in RM, but doesn't say whether a small backyard flock counts. Ask the Building Department.
Massachusetts state rules on backyard poultry
Massachusetts has no statewide right to keep backyard hens. Whether you can keep chickens, how many, and where the coop goes are set locally, through your town's zoning bylaw and Board of Health regulations.
- Board of Health power: under M.G.L. c. 111, §31, local boards of health may adopt "reasonable health regulations", and many use this power to require a permit to keep poultry. Violations can bring fines of up to $1,000. In towns with an agricultural commission, the board must send that commission any proposed rule affecting the non-commercial keeping of poultry, livestock or bees for a 45-day review.
- Agricultural zoning protection is for farms, not most backyards: c. 40A, §3 stops zoning from banning or requiring a special permit for commercial agriculture. Towns may limit that protection to parcels of 5 acres or more, or 2 acres or more if the land produces at least $1,000 per acre a year in sales. A typical backyard flock doesn't qualify.
- Annual barn inspections: your town's animal inspector, working under the state Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), does annual barn inspections and a census of livestock and poultry. Backyard flock owners may be contacted.
- Nuisance rules still apply: a board of health may also regulate or prohibit an activity that causes a nuisance or offensive odors (c. 111, §143).
What the bylaw says
- BOH Ch. 6, Section 4.A, Board of Health Regulation Chapter 6 - Keeping of Livestock and Bees (effective May 15, 2024), p. 3
A. No person shall keep within the limits of the Town of Natick, in any building or on any premises of which he may be the owner, lessee, tenant, or occupant any livestock or bees without a permit issued by the Board of Health.
- BOH Ch. 6, Section 4.D, Board of Health Regulation Chapter 6 - Keeping of Livestock and Bees (effective May 15, 2024), p. 3
D. The maximum amount of chickens permitted on any premises cannot exceed six (6), unless a request for a variance is granted by the Board of Health.
- BOH Ch. 6, Section 4.C, Board of Health Regulation Chapter 6 - Keeping of Livestock and Bees (effective May 15, 2024), p. 3
C. Roosters or cockerels and non-exempt wild animals as defined by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 131, Section 23 shall not be allowed to be kept in any building or on any premises within the limits of the Town of Natick.
- BOH Ch. 6, Section 5.E, Board of Health Regulation Chapter 6 - Keeping of Livestock and Bees (effective May 15, 2024), p. 5
No hen house or yard shall be located within fifty (50) feet of any dwelling nor within fifteen (15) feet of any property line nor within fifteen (15) feet of the line of any street, except by special permission of the Board of Health.
- BOH Ch. 6, Section 4.F, Board of Health Regulation Chapter 6 - Keeping of Livestock and Bees (effective May 15, 2024), p. 3
F. The permit shall expire annually on April 30, unless sooner revoked or suspended by the Board of Health after a hearing.
- BOH Ch. 6, Section 4.G, Board of Health Regulation Chapter 6 - Keeping of Livestock and Bees (effective May 15, 2024), p. 3
G. If the permit holder is not the owner of the property, documentation must be provided indicating that the property owner is not opposed to the keeping of animals on the property.
- BOH Ch. 6, Section 6.A, Board of Health Regulation Chapter 6 - Keeping of Livestock and Bees (effective May 15, 2024), p. 5
A. No person shall erect, occupy, use rebuild, reconstruct, alter or structurally change a stable, accessory structure or corral intended for housing or confining of animals without submitting an initial or revised plan to the Board for its review and approval.
- III-A.2 Use Regulation Schedule, E2, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 50
E2. Farm, including but not limited to the SP N SP N N N