Virginia

Midnight Maran Momma said:

I just read that if you want to have chickens in Chesapeake, VA, you are required to buy a permit. This came from a site that claimed to have a boatload of laws on backyard chickens throughout the country, but I haven't actually seen it verified anywhere. Does anyone know for certain of this is true? The city's chicken laws are in legalese, and not easily understandable. Also, we were told that a coop must be movable/a chicken tractor, or we were required to get a completely different permit for that, as well. Does anyone know if the run is Also required to be mobile, or can we have a mobile coop within a 'dog pen', covered with a roof and protection on three sides (with ventilation up above where the roots & nesting boxes will be)?

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Check with your local 4H chapter. They'll have the laws translated from legalese into real English.

Midnight Maran Momma said:

I just read that if you want to have chickens in Chesapeake, VA, you are required to buy a permit. This came from a site that claimed to have a boatload of laws on backyard chickens throughout the country, but I haven't actually seen it verified anywhere. Does anyone know for certain of this is true? The city's chicken laws are in legalese, and not easily understandable. Also, we were told that a coop must be movable/a chicken tractor, or we were required to get a completely different permit for that, as well. Does anyone know if the run is Also required to be mobile, or can we have a mobile coop within a 'dog pen', covered with a roof and protection on three sides (with ventilation up above where the roots & nesting boxes will be)?

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Your local extension agent may also be a valuable resource to finding out the regulations, and may be even where the paperwork is. Having a tractor in some ways reduces your run requirement. If you build the coop elevated with run underneath, you could have a separate frame for the run. I’d recommend building your tractor with attachment points on the 4 corners for lift jacks. Either the jacks with large enough wheels to roll through grass or some way to attach wheels that allows you to pull it with a mower or push it by hand without lifting.

Midnight Maran Momma said:

I just read that if you want to have chickens in Chesapeake, VA, you are required to buy a permit. This came from a site that claimed to have a boatload of laws on backyard chickens throughout the country, but I haven't actually seen it verified anywhere. Does anyone know for certain of this is true? The city's chicken laws are in legalese, and not easily understandable. Also, we were told that a coop must be movable/a chicken tractor, or we were required to get a completely different permit for that, as well. Does anyone know if the run is Also required to be mobile, or can we have a mobile coop within a 'dog pen', covered with a roof and protection on three sides (with ventilation up above where the roots & nesting boxes will be)?

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looks like if you're not in a residential estate district, you can have up to 6 hens in a backyard coop. you need a permit for the coop and cannot slaughter. if you're in A-1 there's no limit, and if you're in RE-1 i don't fully understand the stuff tbh.
https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/3097/Chickens-and-Chicken-Coops
if you're in a residential district, there's some size limitations regarding the percentage of property cover. the coop needs to be set back 3 or 5 feet from property lines depending on the size and location of the lot, and 6 feet from the house. unless you're outside of RE-1 and then you actually need a 50 ft setback, unless you're in an agricultural zone and not RE-1 then it's 25 feet. the chickens need to be considered pets and not livestock i think? it would be helpful to know your zone while sorting through the city codes.
c.

Keeping of pets, as defined in article 3 of this ordinance. The definition of pet includes certain criteria that must be satisfied for an animal to be considered a pet. If these criteria are not satisfied, then the animal shall be prohibited on residential property.



Excepting lots within the RE-1, Residential Estate District, which shall be subject to the livestock restrictions put forth in section 6-2101 of this ordinance; six (6) or fewer female chickens may be kept as an accessory use in all single-family residential zoning districts, subject to the following requirements: (i) the chickens shall be housed in a fully enclosed accessory structure that meets the requirements of subsections 14-102.B.1—6. set out below, and (ii) the accessory structure shall be located in a rear yard. Nothing herein shall be construed to permit the slaughtering of chickens on property zoned for residential use.

here's the chicken numbers, you can have 0.5 animal units on less than 2 acres. One chicken = 0.033 animal units

hope this helps!