Vinton, Virginia, Chicken Ordinance

Sec. 10-97. - Fowl, chickens and other domestic birds.
(a) Definitions. Fowl is defined as any various domestic birds by way of example but not limited to: Chickens, roosters, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, emus, rheas, ostriches and pigeons.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, permit or allow any domesticated fowl within the corporate limits of the town, or to allow any domesticated fowl to run at large within the corporate limits of the town, except as specifically permitted below.
(c) It shall only be lawful for a person to keep, permit or allow chickens within the corporate limits of the town on residential property only, under the following terms and conditions:
(1) No more than six chicken hens shall be allowed for each single-family dwelling, with roosters prohibited. No chickens shall be allowed on townhouse, duplex, apartment or manufactured housing park properties.
(2) Chicken hens allowed under this section shall only be raised for domestic purposes and no commercial use such as selling eggs or selling chickens for meat shall be allowed. There shall be no outside slaughtering of chickens.
(3) Each single-family dwelling shall contain at a minimum an acre (43,560 square feet) of land.
(4) Chicken hens shall be kept in an enclosed secure movable/portable pen/chicken tractor, stationary pen or a fenced enclosure (henhouse/coop) that contains at a minimum four square feet per bird. The size of the enclosed portable and/or stationary henhouse/coop shall not exceed 64 square feet in area. Birds shall not be allowed to roam free.
(5) The materials used in making a henhouse/coop or chicken tractor shall be uniform for each element of the structure such that the walls are made of the same material, the roof has the same shingles or other covering, and any windows or openings are constructed using the same materials. The use of scrap, waste board, sheet metal, or similar materials is prohibited. Henhouses and chicken tractors shall be well maintained.
(6) All enclosed permanent henhouses/coops must be at least 25 feet from the adjoining property lines and no closer than 50 feet from any adjacent residential dwelling or to any other building used for residential purposes, other than that of the owner of the chicken hens. All enclosed permanent henhouses/coops shall not be located in the front yard, required street side yard, required side yard, nor shall be located in any drainage area that would allow fecal matter to enter any storm drainage system or stream.
(7) Secure movable/portable henhouses/coops and chicken tractors must be located at least 20 feet from the adjoining property line and no closer than 25 feet from any adjacent residential dwelling or to any other building used for residential purposes, other than that of the owner of the chicken hens.
(8) All enclosures for the keeping of chicken hens shall be constructed and maintained as to prevent rodents or other pests from being harbored underneath, inside, or within the walls of the enclosure. The henhouse/coop must be impermeable to rodents, wild birds, and predators, including dogs and cats. All enclosed pens must be kept dry, well-ventilated, and in sanitary condition at all times, and must be cleaned on a regular basis to prevent offensive odors. All manure not used for composting or fertilizing shall be removed promptly. Odors from chickens, chicken manure, or other chicken-related substances shall not be detectable at the property boundaries.
(9) No dog or cat that kills a chicken hen will, for that reason alone, be considered a dangerous or aggressive animal.
(10) Adequate shelter, care and control of the chicken hens are required. Any person allowed to keep chicken hens under this section shall comply with all of the provisions and definitions of the Code of Ordinances regarding care, shelter, sanitation, health, rodent control, cruelty, neglect, noise, reasonable control and any other requirements pertaining to the adequate care and control of animals in the town.
(11) The chicken hen owner shall take necessary action to reduce the attraction of predators and rodents and the potential infestation of insects and parasites. Chicken hens found to be infested with insects and parasites that may result in unhealthy conditions to human habitation may be removed by an animal control officer.
(12) All feed or other material intended for consumption by the chickens shall be kept in containers impenetrable by rats or other rodents, and such container shall be equipped with tightly fitting caps or lids. All feeding shall be conducted in a manner as to prevent unconsumed food from being accessible to other animals or rodents. The presence of rodents in an area used for the keeping of chickens shall be prima facie evidence that such area is maintained in violation of this section.
(13) Chicken litter and waste shall not be deposited in any trash container that is collected by any public and shall be disposed of by either composting on site or disposed of at a permitted solid waste facility in accordance with the applicable permit. Also, any dead birds shall not be deposited in any trash container that is collected by any public waste collector but shall be taken to the permitted solid waste disposal facility and properly disposed of in accordance with the receiving facility's applicable permit.
(14) Disposal of chicken litter, waste, and dead birds in the public wastewater collection system is strictly prohibited since this may cause backups and/or overflows.
(15) Persons wishing to keep chicken hens pursuant to this subsection must file an application with the town's planning and zoning department. The application shall include a sketch showing the area where the chickens will be housed and all types and size of enclosures in which the chickens will be housed along with a twenty-five dollar fee. The sketch must show all property dimensions and setbacks. Once the site and enclosures have been inspected and approved by the town's animal control officer, a permit will be issued by the planning and zoning department. The permit shall be valid for one year. Each existing permit must be renewed annually in January by filing an application with the town's planning and zoning department, along with payment of a twenty-five dollar renewal. The town's animal control officer shall make another inspection of the site, prior to the approval of the renewal application.
(d) The above subsection (c) shall not apply to indoor birds, such as, but not limited to parrots or parakeets, or to the lawful transportation of fowl through corporate limits of the town.
(e) Any person found guilty of violating this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and subsequent violations of this section by the same person shall constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(Ord. No. 913, 4-5-2011)​