Arvada, CO Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 14-92 sets the baseline: livestock generally may be kept only in the RA and RN-32.5 zoning districts, but chickens and turkeys are carved out as an exception and may be kept in any zoning district in the city. That broader allowance comes with numeric limits spelled out in section 14-123(4). Anywhere outside RA and RN-32.5, a household cannot keep a chicken or turkey within 35 feet of a neighboring dwelling unit, though the 35-foot rule doesn't apply to the owner's own dwelling or to a chicken or turkey lawfully and continuously kept for six months before a nearby house was built. Chickens and turkeys are also barred from any part of the property within the required front yard setback.

The numeric caps outside RA and RN-32.5 are strict: no more than five female chickens, or no more than three female chickens combined with two female turkeys, per household. Roosters and toms are banned outright in those districts; only hens are allowed. Domestic fowl and rabbits carry their own, separate 35-foot dwelling setback and front-yard restriction under section 14-123(b). Miniature goats and horses are regulated under companion subsections of sections 14-92 and 14-123 with their own zoning, distance, and headcount rules distinct from the poultry provisions.