Does anyone know if the county is likely to grant special permits for keeping chickens or goats on less than two acres? Are there any lots like this where livestock are currently kept?

Just for more context: I have half an acre and was looking to keep one doe and one wether on half of that with as many chickens I can get away with. I know that the official minimum acreage is 2 in order to keep any livestock but I've also heard that the county will award special permits if you aren't asking for anything too outrageous. Reply if you have any experience with this! Thanks!!

We enacted regulations precisely to prevent idiots like you from fucking up a neighborhood.

I lived in the County in the days before the 2-acre laws were passed. Imagine that all the squirrels out there were chickens.

I don’t think you have a very good chance with the permit process (which is also pretty expensive). I have two friends who have successfully kept chickens in the county without getting the permit. One was very open with his neighbors, shares fresh eggs with them etc. and the neighbors ignore his flock. My other friend keeps a very hidden flock of chickens (privacy fence, strategic plantings, hidden coop). Neither friend keeps roosters.
The county will never know about your animals unless a neighbor reports you.

Hi Gerry!

My chickens identify as gender fluid dogs, so the county doesn't mind.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2018 09:25AM by chuckhoffmann.

Gutted buyer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don’t think you have a very good chance with
> the permit process (which is also pretty
> expensive). I have two friends who have
> successfully kept chickens in the county without
> getting the permit. One was very open with his
> neighbors, shares fresh eggs with them etc. and
> the neighbors ignore his flock. My other friend
> keeps a very hidden flock of chickens (privacy
> fence, strategic plantings, hidden coop). Neither
> friend keeps roosters.
> The county will never know about your animals
> unless a neighbor reports you.

Thanks for the reply! I'm not interested in skirting the law, I would rather go through the permit process. I'm willing to accept being denied.

chuckhoffmann Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> milk and eggs Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does anyone know if the county is likely to
> grant
> > special permits for keeping chickens or goats
> on
> > less than two acres? Are there any lots like
> this
> > where livestock are currently kept?
>
> Goats, no. Chickens, you can apply for a special
> permit, but it costs $435 and you need to have a
> hearing before the Board of Zoning appeals.
>
> If your neighborhood has a homeowners association,
> save your money, as a fair number of them
> specifically forbid keeping livestock in their
> covenants. Even if they don't, they will
> absolutely hire a lawyer to fight your
> application, which will result in it being
> denied.
>
> See also
> https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/soil-water-conservat
> ion/backyard-chickens for information about
> backyard chickens.


Thank you for the info!! You don't think the county will be cool with goats at all? That's disappointing to hear, I figured that since the county law talks about goats, it wouldnt be a big deal. I mean, if I had enough acreage I wouldn't have to ask at all! I'm totally willing to argue my case. I do have an HOA but it doesn't say anything about livestock so I was hoping to get away with it...

Thanks so much for the info and the link. That's cool that there is a page specifically on backyard chickens. Unfortunately it doesn't mention goats. I'll see what I can find on scheduling a hearing. I'm really not interested in keeping any animals illegally so I hope I can make this work.

In case anyone is interested, here is what I found out. I have gone through the past 20 years of special permit applications at http://ldip.fairfaxcounty.gov. Most of them were people asking to keep three or four dogs on their property instead of just two. There were many seeking to keep backyard chickens (almost all of these applications were approved), but I could only find two pertaining to the keeping of goats.

Special permit SP 2016-MA-017, regarding the keeping of 26 hens and 2 goats, was (partially) denied. The board felt that it was an unreasonable number of egg-laying hens just to provide for a private family. There was also a petition in opposition signed by 30 surrounding homeowners. The goats were not described in the resolution, but the request for modification to the limitation on the keeping of animals was fully denied.

Special permit SP 2017-SP-009, regarding the keeping of 12 hens and 2 goats, was approved. The board appears to have been amenable to this because the lot size at 1.69 acres was considered close enough to 2 acres. Presumably their neighbors were also okay with it.

I'm sure these aren't the only applications out there but it's all I could find. It seems that the board is generally amenable as long as you are keeping your animals in a way that is respectful to the people around you. I'm a little worried that I could only find a single case where someone was approved for the keeping of goats, but I'm going to go ahead with a special permit application. I don't have an HOA so that won't be a problem.

Thanks everyone who responded with advice. If anyone else is interested in making a similar appeal, hopefully this post helps.

ALERT: Chuck Hoffman is a cock sucker.