Someone a couple streets away from me raises chickens and ducks in their yard. Located in the forest hill woodland parks area

You can have chickens in the city, I think legally the limit is three hens and no roosters

I'm pretty sure city and all surrounding areas are OK, but you have to have at least 1/3 acre. Also, I think it's 3-4 chickens, no roosters.

I think you can have chickens in the city of Richmond. I live in church hill and my neighbor has a coop full of chickens

Meta

https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/10cokkm/chicken_thieves/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb

You can totally own chickens in the city. There's not really an acreage requirement but technically you have to have them 15 feet from neighboring dwellings which could be a challenge in some lots. The city puts out a whole guide to chickens in Richmond: https://www.rva.gov/sites/default/files/2019-04/RACCChickenGuide.pdf

You do need a license. $60/year I believe. Up to 6 birds. No roosters

Someone on the Northside definitely has a fucking loud ass rooster. I’ll find you one day!!

I'm sure it's fairly easy to look up Richmond and other surrounding counties. I happened to have the relevant sections bookmarked for Henrico and Hanover.

Henrico: https://library.municode.com/va/henrico_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CD_ORD_CH24ZOOR_ART4USRE_DIV4ACUSST_S24-4419ACKEANOUDWACDW

Poultry.

The keeping of poultry is allowed as an accessory use to a single-family detached, duplex, or manufactured home dwelling in accordance with the standards in this subsection (see Sec. 24-4302.A, All Animal Husbandry Uses, for standards for keeping poultry as a principal use).

1. The keeping of poultry is allowed by right only in the A-1, Agricultural District. In the R-0, R-0A, R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-2A, R-3, R-3A, R-4, and R-4A districts, the keeping of poultry accessory to a dwelling is allowed subject to approval of a Conditional Use Permit in accordance with Sec. 24-2308, Conditional Use Permit.
2. No more than six hens may be kept on the property. Roosters are prohibited.
3. The hens must be kept within a covered enclosure that includes a coop and an enclosed run. The coop and the enclosed run must have a combined minimum enclosed area of 30 square feet. The enclosure must be located in the rear yard only and must meet a side yard setback of 25 feet and the rear yard setback that applies to the dwelling.

Hanover: https://library.municode.com/va/hanover_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COCO_CH26ZOOR_ART5SIDERE_DIV8RESPUS_S26-298.1KECHREDI

Section 26-298.1. - Keeping of chickens in residential districts.

Notwithstanding any district regulations to the contrary, the keeping of chickens on lots with single-family detached homes within the RS, R-1, R-2, and R-3 districts shall be permitted as an accessory use so long as the following conditions are satisfied:

1. There shall no more than six (6) female chickens (hens) kept on the property. No male chickens (roosters) are permitted.
2. All chickens shall be kept within an enclosure on the property. This enclosure shall:
   a. Contain a coop to house the chickens;
   b. Be constructed entirely within the rear yard of the property; and
   c. Be a minimum of fifteen (15) feet from all side and rear lot lines.
3. All areas associated with the keeping of chickens shall be cleaned and made free of waste on a regular basis. Waste associated with the use shall be disposed of in an appropriate waste disposal container that is periodically removed from the site.
4. The property owner shall employ a means of eliminating any odor problems and propagation of insects related to the use.

If you don’t want to spend the time raising them from chicks you can get pullets that are usually around 18 weeks old from Dunreath farm in Hanover. They had some for sale when I was there a week ago

legal in a lot of the city. Certain distance from neighbors and no roosters per recollection.

roosters in the city is just rude

Having lived 3 houses down from people who kept chickens in an urban neighborhood, I can tell you that keeping them will piss off neighbors. They are louder and smellier than people claim.

Would you say they smell foully?

If you can't have a rooster, then there really isn't much point in having chickens. Unless you are primarily interested in feeding all the varmints and hawks, I guess.

What you did there, I see it.

I’d like to have a few chickens. I spend entirely too much on eggs.

You don’t need a rooster if you just want eggs.

& they’re rat magnets if not properly kept. Some older Henrico county neighborhoods allow a certain amount.

I think they were talking about the rooster's job is to protect chickens from predators.

If you're in Henrico you're SOL. Everywhere else in the area appears to have reasonable laws.