People are flocking to backyard chickens, and they're allowed in metro Richmond

By the numbers: 11 million U.S. households have backyard chickens and 8 million U.S. households consider their chickens pets, making chickens one of the most popular pets in the country, according to the latest data from the American Pet Products Association.

• That's way more than had backyard chickens in 2018 (5.8 million), per APPA data.

Zoom in: Richmond, Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico all allow backyard chickens, up to six hens apiece in each locality, plus other restrictions.

• Or you can even rent the whole setup, chickens and all, through The Chicken Rental Place, a locally-based all-inclusive egg-laying chicken rental service.
• They're currently sold-out for 2025, but could have some openings in the spring, per their website.

State of play: 2025, similar to 2020, is already shaping up to be a big year for backyard chickens, according to Jenn Tompkins, co-owner of national backyard chickens company Rent The Chicken.

Yes, but: Caring for chickens instead of buying eggs at the store is still eggspensive.

• It can cost $500 to get a decent coop, plus $20 a month for food.
• But, two adult hens can yield about a dozen eggs a week.