YORK COUNTY, S.C. — York County is in the process of updating county codes, some of which have been untouched since the 1980s. One change residents might see is more freedom to have backyard chickens.
Currently, York County requires you to live on 5 acres or more, zoned for agriculture, in order to have chickens. Now the county is looking at including single-family homes sitting on less than 5 acres.
New requirements would include having an enclosure and a maximum of six chickens. The enclosure must also be 30 feet from neighboring homes.
“I just don’t want people to get punished for being able to do something simple on their own property," York County Councilmember Brandon Guffey, who supports the change, said.
The county has spent several years updating county codes. It's a change York County resident Chad Byers welcomes.
“It was very beneficial because these chickens, they give stuff back to you," Byers said. "It’s not just, ‘I’m feeding them, I’m feeding them, I’m feeding them.’ I’m getting a return on that, even if it’s minimal.”
During the pandemic, he moved his family out of a Fort Mill subdivision and onto a 10-acre farm after York County told him zoning rules prohibited him from owning chickens.
"We probably wouldn’t have moved," Byers said. "I do think it’s a net positive for people looking to be a little more self-sufficient.”
The third reading for the recodes, which includes updates to rules about backyard kitchens, is set to happen Monday night.
Contact Indira Eskieva at ieskieva@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.