Backyard Chickens in Charlottesville, Virginia

Can you keep chickens in Charlottesville?

Charlottesville allows backyard hens as part of its urban-agriculture policy, making it a welcoming Piedmont Virginia city for small home flocks — as long as you skip the rooster and keep your coop tidy and set back from the neighbors.

Yes – with conditions

Yes, keeping backyard hens is legal in Charlottesville. The city's Code of Ordinances, Chapter 4 ("Animals and Fowl"), directly regulates the keeping of chickens and other fowl — for example it provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to permit any chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons or other fowl belonging to him to go at large in the city (§ 4-14), which presumes that keeping fowl on one's own property is a recognized, lawful activity, not a prohibited one. Local reporting confirms that Charlottesville is one of the Virginia localities that has changed its city code to accommodate hens, and that the city policy allows residents to have chickens, bees and a maximum of three miniature goats, but does not allow roosters and requires that male goats be neutered. Secondary chicken-law directories summarizing the Charlottesville ordinance likewise report that the city allows up to six hens with a required permit, no roosters, and coop setbacks from property lines and neighboring dwellings.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: 6
Roosters: No
Permit required: Yes
Setback from property line: 10 ft.

Peggy knows Charlottesville

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Based on the city's animal/fowl chapter and secondary summaries of that chapter: chickens must be kept on the owner's own property and not permitted to go at large in the city (fowl-at-large is a separate offense from simply keeping birds). Charlottesville is reported to require a permit to keep backyard chickens, to cap flocks at 6 hens, and to require coops/enclosures to be set back roughly 10 ft from property lines and about 20 ft from neighboring dwellings. Roosters are not permitted under the city's urban-agriculture policy. As with most Virginia localities, ordinances typically also require coops to be kept sanitary and free of nuisance odor/noise, and prohibit commercial slaughter or sale of birds/eggs from residential lots — always confirm exact current figures with the city's Neighborhood Development Services / Zoning office before building a coop, since aggregator sites do not always reflect the latest code amendments.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Charlottesville

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 7a; humid subtropical climate

Charlottesville has hot, humid summers and cool, moderately cold winters typical of the Virginia Piedmont. Coops should provide good cross-ventilation and shade for summer heat/humidity, along with wind-blocking and insulation (without sealing off ventilation) for occasional winter cold snaps and ice.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkFoxOpossumCoyote

Charlottesville-area flocks commonly face raccoons, hawks, foxes, opossums, and occasional coyotes. Hardware-cloth (not chicken wire), buried predator aprons, secure locking latches, and an automatic coop-closing door at dusk are the most effective defenses recommended by local keepers.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Buff Orpington, Australorp, Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte

Our package comes with two Rhode Island Reds – hardy in heat and cold, and friendly with kids.

Questions people ask about Charlottesville

▸Can I keep a rooster in Charlottesville?

No. Charlottesville's urban-agriculture policy allows hens but does not allow roosters, a restriction echoed across most Virginia cities to control noise.

▸Do I need a permit to keep chickens in Charlottesville?

Yes, a permit is generally reported as required before keeping backyard chickens within city limits; contact the city's zoning/neighborhood development office to apply.

▸How many hens can I keep?

Reported guidance puts the cap at up to 6 hens per residential property, though you should confirm the current figure with the city since ordinances can be amended.

▸How far from my property line does my coop need to be?

Typical reported setbacks are about 10 feet from property lines and roughly 20 feet from a neighboring dwelling, though exact figures should be verified with the city.

▸Can I keep other livestock like goats along with my chickens?

Charlottesville's city code also allows up to three miniature goats (with male goats required to be neutered), in addition to chickens and bees, under its urban-agriculture provisions.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Charlottesville or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked September 13, 2026.