Backyard Chickens in Winchester, Virginia

Can you keep chickens in Winchester?

Thinking about keeping hens in Winchester, Virginia? The city allows backyard chickens with a permit under City Code Sec. 5-16, letting homeowners keep up to six hens in their rear yard in most residential zoning districts. Roosters aren't allowed, and coops must meet specific setback rules from property lines, neighboring homes, and drainage features. Here's exactly what Peggy's Happy Chickens found in Winchester's actual municipal code.

Yes – with conditions

Yes. The City of Winchester allows homeowners to keep chickens under City Code Chapter 5, Article I, Sec. 5-16 (Chicken Permits). The keeping of chickens on residential properties is designed to allow for homeowners to keep chickens in their rear yard provided they are kept in a safe and clean manner and do not create a nuisance. A permit and a $25 application fee are required, up to six hens are allowed per single-family dwelling, and roosters are prohibited. Chicken-keeping is prohibited in the Central Business District (B-1) and Residential Business District (RB-1), but is allowed in all other residential zoning districts. Separately, the older general provision, Sec. 5-14, still allows any fowl (not just permitted chickens) to be kept on lots of at least two acres if securely fenced.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: 6
Roosters: No
Permit required: Yes
Permit cost: $25
Setback from property line: 10 ft.

Peggy knows Winchester

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Hen limit: No more than six (6) chicken hens shall be allowed for each single-family dwelling (Sec. 5-16.1(a)).
Roosters: No roosters shall be allowed (Sec. 5-16.1).
Location: Pens must be located in the rear yard. Pens for chickens shall be situated at least ten (10) feet from all property lines, and pens must be at least 25 feet from any neighboring residential structure, though a pen may be as close as 10 feet to the residential structure on the same lot it serves (Sec. 5-16.1(f)).
Drainage buffer: Pens must be located at least twenty (20) feet from streams, tributaries, ditches, swales, storm water management facilities, drop-inlets, or other storm drainage areas that could carry fecal matter offsite.
No free-roaming: No chickens shall be permitted to run at large.
Domestic use only: Chickens may only be raised for personal/domestic use; the ordinance's Statement of Intent specifies it is not designed for individuals to keep chickens for slaughter or for selling eggs, and no ongoing business sale of chickens, chicken meat, or eggs is allowed under a chicken permit.
No slaughtering: There shall be no slaughtering of birds outside or in enclosed structures.
Zoning: Prohibited in the Central Business District (B-1) and Residential Business District (RB-1); allowed in all other residential zoning districts.
Permit fee: A twenty-five-dollar ($25.00) application fee applies.
General 2-acre rule (Sec. 5-14): Separate from the chicken-permit program, it is otherwise unlawful to raise or keep livestock or fowl (including ducks, geese, guineafowl, peafowl, swans, and turkeys) within the City unless the property is at least two acres in size and the animals are securely fenced.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Winchester

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 6b/7a (Shenandoah Valley, Northern Virginia)

Winchester sits in the lower Shenandoah Valley and experiences four distinct seasons: cold winters with occasional snow and nights in the teens or single digits, and hot, humid summers that can reach the 90s°F. Coop ventilation for summer heat and draft-free, well-insulated housing for winter cold are both important for backyard flocks in this region.

🦝 Who's after your hens

RaccoonHawkFoxCoyoteOpossumSnake

Winchester's mix of urban, suburban, and nearby wooded/rural terrain means backyard flocks face raccoons, red foxes, hawks and owls, opossums, coyotes, and occasional black rat snakes. Since city ordinance requires pens in the rear yard with specific setbacks, secure hardware-cloth enclosures with buried aprons and covered runs are strongly recommended to deter digging and aerial predators.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

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

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

Questions people ask about Winchester

▸How many hens can I legally keep in Winchester, VA?

Up to six (6) hens are allowed per single-family dwelling under City Code Sec. 5-16.1(a).

▸Are roosters allowed in Winchester?

No. The ordinance explicitly states that no roosters shall be allowed.

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

Yes, a chicken permit is required, along with a one-time $25.00 application fee.

▸How far must my chicken pen be from property lines and houses?

Pens must be at least 10 feet from all property lines and at least 25 feet from any neighboring residential structure (though the pen may be as close as 10 feet to your own house). Pens must also be at least 20 feet from streams, ditches, or storm drainage features.

▸Can I sell eggs or meat from my backyard chickens in Winchester?

No. The ordinance's Statement of Intent makes clear the chicken-permit program is for personal/domestic use only — it is not designed for slaughter or selling eggs, and no ongoing business sale of chickens, chicken meat, or eggs is permitted.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Winchester or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked September 30, 2026.