For six years McKinney has been home to an event the likes of which not many nearby cities host—Tour De Coop. This event, which took place at the end of April, is an educational tour of urban chicken coops throughout the city of McKinney. The event caters to people like Laura Tiedemann, a McKinney resident, who said she has seven hens and lives in the city’s historic district. Prior to moving to McKinney in May 2017, Tiedemann said she looked into the city’s ordinances and knew McKinney was a chicken-friendly area. The city allows residents to have up to 12 hens as long as they are kept in a “proper enclosure,” according to the city’s animal control department. No roosters are allowed within the city limits except for areas zoned or designated for agricultural purposes. Ducks, geese, guineas, peacocks or turkeys are also not allowed to be kept within the city limits. However, because homeowner’s association guidelines take precedence over city guidelines, residents living in a neighborhood with an HOA might not be allowed to have chickens. “An HOA’s regulations can be more or less stringent than [the city’s] ordinances—depending what the subject is,” Denise Lessard, spokesperson for the city, said in an email. “An HOA can say you can only have six chickens, even though the city allows 12. They cannot go above what the city has in place.” When homeowners sign onto an HOA, they abide by the guidelines or risk a fine. HOA residents should contact their board with any questions.