Chicken laws in Greene County, Va????

[howfunkyisurchicken]

So I've had chickens for quite some time, but this week my fellow chickeners and I have encountered a problem. One of my neighbors had an incident with another neighbors dog coming to her house and having a field day with her flock. Long story short, the dog was shot and animal control came out to inform the dogs owners that they were responsible for disposing of the body. This week zoning showed up at her house and told her that she had 30 days to get rid of any animal she possesses that is considered livestock. They stated that she could not keep them because she lives on less than 5 acres. We live in a subdivision that is zoned agricultural, and there aren't many people in the subdivision that own more than 4 acres. He passed 5 other chicken keepers on his way to her house, one of those being me. So now my neighbors and I are in a panick. I've been trying to look through the local ordinances (which is difficult because my only internet access is from my phone), and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I looked through the zoning laws and most of what I could read from the itty bitty PDF file was about waterways, structures and fences. So- does anyone know the ordinances pertaining to chickens in Greene, Co Virginia? Or could someone with a real computer look them up and share them? I would so appreciate it! I have to work today, and I'm genuinely worried that I'll come home and find a letter from zoning taped to my door. I can't imagine not being able to have them

Edited to add- my neighbor who was cited does not own a house in the subdivision. She rents and only has an acre of land on which she was keeping 3 chickens. Could this be the reason she was ordered to give them up? I own my home, but we've only got 3.5 acres...

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

So far I have found nothing in the Municode for your area. if I type Poultry in the search box it brings up a whole page of stuff on dogs killing livestock and poultry. If I type in Livestock it brings up what found about waterways etc. If I type in fowl...nothing.
I would go over to your neighbors and ask to see the citation she got and that should list the code violation and maybe we can go from there....I couldn't find a thing in zoning either....very weird. and I dont thing her renting had anything to do with it.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Ok- I've talked to my neighbor and she said they didn't issue a citation. The zoning official left a business card on her door and wrote on the back for her to call him because she had a zoning violation. When she called she was told to remove any and all livestock from her property. All they gave was a copy of the ordinance (the same one that states the laws about the waterways, fences, ect). However, I did find this:

Agriculture-low intensity: use of a tract of land not less than five (5) acres for any of the following (1) hay production (2) forestry production including christmas trees (3) pasturing of livestock not to exceed one (1) animal unit per each 3 acres with one animal unit equivalent to one (1) 1000 lb mature cow with or without a nursing calf (4) the keeping of fowl in securely fenced or closed housing. If free-range the total number of mature birds may not exceed fifty (50) per acre. If the birds are housed in coops or other enclosed structures, whether permanent or temporary, these structures may not exceed 1500 square feet in aggregate on any tract of land regardless of size.

The way its worded sounds like they are limiting these for commercial purposes. We obviously just keep small backyard flocks for our own personal use. But maybe I'm just completely law illiterate. I'm so confused. All of us have less than 5 acres, so I guess we are all guilty of a zoning violation?

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

Wow...I had to read that over 6 times to try to understand what they were saying.....

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

How much "less" than 5 acres do you have? I would be inclined to apply for a varience ....especially as you are on ag land to begin with.
Rediculous!!

 

[Gallusfarm]

I would call the zoning dept. at 434-985-5282. Give them your address and hopefully they will be able to clear things up for you.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Luckily at this point they aren't focusing on me- just trying to cross my t's and dot my i's. We have just a little over 3.5 acres, and in all the years I've lived and kept fowl this has been the only issue. I really think its just drama stemming from the incident with the dog, but I wanted to cover myself just in case. Thanks everyone- guess I'll just lay low and hope it all blows over....

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

Quote:
LOVE your name btw!

funky chickens are