Earlier this month RGJ published an article that is really relevant to an question from earlier posting. The Question? Is it legal to have backyard chickens in Nevada?
As it turns out, for the most part YES! As far as the Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County government are concerned, backyard chickens are fine. Some restrictions apply in Washoe and Sparks so contact them before you jump. The governing bodies most opposed to backyard chickens are Home Owners Associations.
Some days, when every dog in the my HOA neighborhood is barking and less-than-tidy or considerate neighbors neglect their dog duties (not you, Linda) I wonder what the big deal is with backyard chickens. When I ask people how they'd feel about living next door to 3-5 hens that lay fresh eggs every day, play an essential role in organic gardens, and provide hours of watching entertainment, the answer is something like "No problem whatsoever, as long as the hen-mistress/master cleans up after them." So if my neighbors wouldn't mind if I had chickens, then why does my HOA when dogs require similar responsiblities? It's a mystery.
The good news is that backyard chickens are gaining in popularity and all over the country residents and HOAs are working together to restore them to our backyard lives. Yippee!
I have no legal expertise whatsoever so would rather not state on this blog "here's the law", but I'm happy to let RGJ take that role. For the full article you can either purchase it online from the RGJ archives or get it free online from the Washoe County Library databases. Click on Research Databases, then News and Current Events, then the RGJ link in the America's Newspapers paragraph. Keyword search "raising chickens". TIP: You'll need your Washoe County Libary card number to access the database. Alternately most libraries archive hardcopies for a couple of month, so you could visit your local branch. Call first if you visit one of the smaller branches.
I have no legal expertise whatsoever so would rather not state on this blog "here's the law", but I'm happy to let RGJ take that role. For the full article you can either purchase it online from the RGJ archives or get it free online from the Washoe County Library databases. Click on Research Databases, then News and Current Events, then the RGJ link in the America's Newspapers paragraph. Keyword search "raising chickens". TIP: You'll need your Washoe County Libary card number to access the database. Alternately most libraries archive hardcopies for a couple of month, so you could visit your local branch. Call first if you visit one of the smaller branches.
Anyway, I digress. On April 9th, Melody Hefner from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension wrote a Reno Gazette Journal article that included a brief description of the Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County laws regarding backyard chickens. Consult your CCRs if you live in an HOA community.
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