Chickens okay, but no roosters, no coops (Spotsylvania County, Virginia)

[NancyShehata]

Howdy! I'm new to the forum and don't yet own any chickens. I'm interested in raising some in my yard and getting eggs from them. But don't I need a rooster for that? The ordinance that I read (helpfully posted on this site) said chickens are okay, but no roosters and coops not allowed. So, where do I go from here? Can I have a rooster "visit"? lol. I'm really totally clueless, as you can tell. Any words of advice would be welcome.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

If you just have hens they will lay eggs. You just won't be able to have them hatch the eggs to get baby chicks. The hens will ovulate on a regular basis and give you tasty eggs without a rooster.

I just re read your post and wondered what the ordinance meant by "no coop allowed" Usually they just limit the size of the coop and the number of chickens you can keep.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Some Virginian with a sense of humor must have thought up the name Spotsylvania. Anyway I looked up the ordinance that you checked out on BYC and I wonder if some one left out the comma when they list the coop restrictions - none allowed vs. none, allowed.

You will need to contact the county anyhow to find out how many chickens you can have, so you can clarify the coop question at the same time hopefully.

Anyway, I hope you get chickens, they are fun and the eggs are a nice bonus.

 

[NancyShehata]

Thank you for your replies. I did not realize the chickens would ovulate and make eggs without a rooster, but that's actually quite logical - it's what we ladies do every month! So I can make do without a rooster, though who knows if I can sneak one in for conjugal visits from time to time. "No sir, he doesn't live here, he's just visiting." . I'll call after the weekend to ask about the coop. It would be funny if a missing comma were the culprit. "Let's eat Grandma!", and "Let's eat, Grandma!" Punctuation saves lives.

 

[k3llyVA]

Hello from Arlington VA- where we can't have chickens yet... but we're working on it!

Be sure to check out the "Virginia" thread in the "Where am I? Where are you!" forum to meet more Virginia folks:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/80/virginia




Quote: Today's history lesson: Spotsylvania County named for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood in the 1700's.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Thanks for the history lesson. I'm not quite sure why I found it to be funny, after all I don't think Pennsylvania sounds funny. I hope you all can get chickens soon.

 

[DBrewer]

I live in Spotsylvania. I read that same ordinance and thought the same thing. Without a coop, where the heck are the chickens supposed to sleep and be safe from predators? Must be a typo.

 

[ChickiesInUtah]

Hello & welcome!

I hope it's a typo, that seems really strange.

 

[TabbyG]

Hope that's a typo... where do they want you to keep them, in your bathroom? I sure hope your town gets it straight... this is so silly to me!

 

[MedMimi]

I looked at that twice, too. As I read it, the ordinance is not addressing "coops" in that part, it is addressing "coop restrictions." There are none. Look at the left side.

However, I should add that a lot of subdivisions within Spotsylvania do have their own restrictions on chickens. You have to check your HOA covenants.