Silverdale is an unincorporated community in Kitsap County, so backyard chicken and livestock rules come from Kitsap County Code Chapter 17.455 (Agriculture Code). Residents may keep up to 8 hens (no roosters) and up to 2 bee colonies for their own use as an accessory agriculture use. Structures housing or feeding livestock must be at least 50 feet from any perimeter parcel line.
Because Silverdale is a Census-designated place in unincorporated Kitsap County, Washington (not an incorporated city), residents are subject to Kitsap County Code (KCC) rather than a city ordinance. KCC Chapter 17.455 (Agriculture Code) governs accessory agriculture in residential zones. Under the chapter, single-family residences and community gardens may keep up to eight hens — roosters are prohibited — and up to two bee colonies for their own use. Structures that house, confine, or feed livestock (goats, sheep, horses, pigs, etc.) must be located at least 50 feet from any perimeter parcel line and must comply with the underlying zoning district's minimum setbacks for internal parcel lines. The accessory agriculture use is prohibited within the Gorst Urban Growth Area but is otherwise allowed in Silverdale's residential zones. Permitted livestock numbers scale with lot size in commercial agricultural zoning; small residential lots are limited to the hens-and-bees provision.
Code enforcement is handled by the Kitsap County Department of Community Development. Violations of KCC 17.455 are typically civil zoning infractions; the County issues a notice of violation with a compliance deadline, and continued violations can be referred to the Kitsap County hearing examiner with daily fines.
See how Silverdale's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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