Official BYC Poll: Is chicken keeping legal in your town?

[BDutch]

In the Netherlands the legislator sees you as a hobby chicken farmer if you keep less than 250 chickens. In principle, you can work with less than 250 chickens without a permit. In practice this is often not allowed and rules may differ in a different municipality’s. It is therefore always a good idea to consult the General Local Regulations.

These chicken keeping rules can differ per residential area, town or city. In general, it is often allowed, but you have to stick to certain agreements.

Even if the agreements are not regulated by law, as in my town, it is still essential to behave properly. This means that you make agreements with the neighbours if there is a possibility they can hear or smell you’re chickens. You can not accuse them of 'being bothered by everything.' That becomes a recipe for a neighbor quarrel.

In practice this means most people within residential areas with a small garden can keep a few (bantam) chickens without a rooster. The size and numbers are related to the size of the garden and the distance to the neighbours.

 

[Folly's place]

Just looked at this thread, and chickens aren't legal in our nearest town. BUT we live in a township, rural, on land zoned agricultural. So, any livestock, including chickens, no problem. And we checked carefully before buying this property! We had cattle, and still have a few horses, and the chickens.
Life is good!
Mary
And just noticed that I've already responded to this thread... Sorry.

 

[STACEYH]

I live in town. About 2 years ago it became legal to have chickens and other fowl in city limits. As long as your neighbors don't complain you can have as many as you want. I currently have 15 all pullets. I spoke to most of my neighbors before I got my ladies. I did give eggs to a couple neighbors for the holidays.

 

[MD MPH]

I live in Fairfax County, Virginia. If you live on <2 ac, permission to keep fowl requires a process that involves hearings, public input, and hundreds of dollars in fees & expenses. If more than two acres, you can keep a pretty darn big flock with no approval needed.

Fowl, such as chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese, may only be kept on lots that are two acres or greater. They shall not exceed the ratio of one bird unit per one acre, with a bird unit defined as:

• 32 chickens = 1 bird unit
• 16 ducks = 1 bird unit
• 8 turkeys = 1 bird unit
• 8 geese = 1 bird unit

Only fowl two months or older are counted in the ratio. Roosters are not permitted, except with an agricultural use

Notice, if you go from <2 ac to 2 ac, you go from being able to keep zero birds to 64 chickens! If 64 are okay on two acres, surely you should have no problem with 10 birds on 1 acre or so.

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

I live in Fairfax County, Virginia. If you live on <2 ac, permission to keep fowl requires a process that involves hearings, public input, and hundreds of dollars in fees & expenses. If more than two acres, you can keep a pretty darn big flock with no approval needed.


Notice, if you go from <2 ac to 2 ac, you go from being able to keep zero birds to 64 chickens! If 64 are okay on two acres, surely you should have no problem with 10 birds on 1 acre or so.

64 chickens, but none can be roosters. Now that's a different kind of chicken math. Probably better to keep geese, ganders being quiet and all (LOL)

 

[Sunny the Chicken]

4 hens maximum, but no roosters. I̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶r̶o̶o̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶n̶e̶i̶g̶h̶b̶o̶r̶s̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶e̶.̶

 

[ASCooperband]

Santa Monica, CA: up to 5 hens, no roosters.

 

[ASCooperband]

Santa Monica, CA: up to 5 hens, no roosters

 

[the_peanut_coop]

Welcome to the BYC flock. You won't regret joining, have a great day!

 

[stealthmayhem]

Weird rules where I use to live.

Keeping of chickens for individual domestic purposes subject to the following restrictions:

Keeping of chickens shall not be permitted on lots smaller than 10,890 square feet in lot area.

No more than five (5) chickens shall be permitted on a residential lot.

Chickens shall be registered with the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

Chickens shall be penned in a coop that shall be at least four (4) square feet per chicken.

All chicken coops shall be located in a rear yard and shall be a minimum of 20 feet from side and rear property lines.

Any odor associated with the chickens shall not be discernable from property lines.

Keeping of roosters shall be prohibited.

Any lot with chickens shall either comply with these requirements by June 1, 2016 or remove the chickens.