Can you keep backyard chickens in Oregon?
Oregon cities may act on their local affairs within general law, and counties by ordinance on matters of county concern (ORS 221.410, 203.035), so check yours. Whether keepers must register wasn't established.
Read from 7 official sources23 passages quotedChecked October 25, 2026
At a glance
Registering your flock
Where hens can live
Bird-flu housing orders
Welfare rules
Who decides where hens can live
The state law we read gives a named local body its own powers over where hens can live. What the checked sources say:
- Except as limited by express provision or necessary implication of general law, an Oregon city may take all action necessary or convenient for the government of its local affairs.
- A county governing body or its electors may, by ordinance, exercise authority within the county over matters of county concern, to the fullest extent the federal and state constitutions and laws allow. As published in the 2025 edition, ORS 215.050(1) also says that, except as provided in ORS 527.722, the county governing body must adopt a comprehensive plan and zoning, subdivision and other ordinances for all land in the county; the Legislature’s chapter 215 page says sections of that chapter were amended in its 2026 regular session, and whether 215.050 was among them was not checked.
No statewide permission or prohibition on keeping chickens is established by this finding. Your city may act on its local affairs, and your county may act by ordinance on matters of county concern, so check with them. This page names the state law, not their own ordinances, and doesn't cover HOA, rooster or setback rules. Oregon’s right-to-farm statutes were not read.
Registration: not established in the state sources we read.
The law's own words are quoted under state rules on keeping poultry below.
How to check: Look up the local rules where you live (the ordinances, bylaws or zoning of the body named here), or ask that office, before you get hens.
A sourced reading of Oregon's state law, not legal advice. Local ordinances and zoning, HOA rules, and any local rooster or coop limits aren't covered here yet: check your local code before you get hens.
Keeping your flock
These findings cover the national or state scope stated below. They do not determine whether chickens are allowed at a particular home. City zoning, property restrictions and other local rules are outside this research.
Registering as a poultry keeper
Not established from the sources checked
Jurisdiction: Oregon
Applies to: Oregon Revised Statutes chapter 596 (animal disease control), read in full on 25 October 2026.
Outside this finding's scope
- No registration duty for poultry keepers was found in ORS chapter 596; its registration sections cover animal remedies and veterinary products. The Oregon Administrative Rules and ODA’s animal identification pages were not read, so this is not proof that none exists.
Authority: Not established from the sources checked.
Fee: Not established from the sources checked.
Bird-flu housing orders
Current status needs rechecking
Check the official current-status pageOrders can change between checks. A missed check or an expired order does not establish that no order applies.
Housing-order finding as checked on 2026-10-25
The scope and conditions below are a dated record, not confirmation of today's position.
Conditions apply to this finding
Uses housing orders in this scope: Yes, according to the checked evidence, within the limits listed under “Outside this finding’s scope” below.
Jurisdiction: Oregon
Applies to: The Oregon Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) disease-control and quarantine powers (ORS 596.010, 596.020, 596.392 and 596.402), where livestock includes domesticated fowl.
Outside this finding's scope
- These powers do not in terms require birds to be kept indoors, and this finding does not establish that any quarantine or order applies now.
What the checked sources say
- For ORS chapter 596, livestock includes domesticated fowl. ODA must take all measures necessary and proper, in its judgment, to control diseases and to eradicate and prevent the spread of infectious, contagious and communicable diseases among livestock.
- ODA may order and compel the summary quarantine of any livestock that may be infected with, exposed to or a carrier of a disease, with any test, treatment or other action it orders as a condition of release, and of any premises or vehicles where such livestock are or have been confined.
- ODA may also summarily quarantine any legally described area of Oregon and prohibit or restrict movement of livestock, vehicles, people or things into or out of it.
- As checked on 25 October 2026, ODA’s HPAI page recommended that poultry owners restrict access to their property and keep their birds away from other birds, and said to report a sick or dead domestic bird to the Oregon State Veterinarian at 503-986-4711.
- Current mandatory housing status remains unconfirmed.
- Checked
- Recheck due
Historical evidence, as checked
These quotations record what was checked on the dates shown. They do not confirm an order's current status.
(3) “Livestock” includes, but is not limited to, horses, mules, jennies, jackasses, cattle, sheep, dogs, hogs, goats, domesticated fowl, psittacines, ratites and domesticated fur-bearing animals.
ORS 596.010(3) · Checked
(b) Take all measures necessary and proper, in its judgment, to control diseases within this state and to eradicate and prevent the spread of infectious, contagious and communicable diseases that may exist among livestock
ORS 596.020(1)(b), opening · Checked
The State Department of Agriculture may order and compel:
ORS 596.392, opening · Checked
(4) The summary quarantine of any livestock which may be infected with, exposed to or the carrier of a disease and may subject such livestock to any test, treatment or other action as the department orders as a condition for release from quarantine.
ORS 596.392(4) · Checked
(5) The summary quarantine of any premises or vehicles where any livestock infected with, exposed to or a carrier of a disease are or have been confined.
ORS 596.392(5) · Checked
(1) The State Department of Agriculture may also summarily quarantine any legally described area of this state and prohibit or otherwise restrict any movement of livestock, vehicles, persons or things into or out of the area as the department deems necessary for the eradication or control of a disease in the area,
ORS 596.402(1), opening · Checked
Restrict access to your property and keep your birds away from other birds.
ODA HPAI in poultry page, "Recommended practices for poultry owners", first item · Checked
If you find a sick or dead bird, don't touch it, report it!
ODA HPAI in poultry page, reporting line · Checked
Oregon State Veterinarian AnimalHealth@oda.oregon.gov Phone: 503-986-4711
Small-flock welfare minimums
Conditions apply to this finding
Jurisdiction: Oregon
Applies to: Oregon’s animal neglect offences (ORS 167.310 and 167.325) and their exemptions (ORS 167.335), where animal includes any bird and livestock includes domesticated fowl (ORS 609.125).
Outside this finding's scope
- Unless gross negligence can be shown, ORS 167.315 to 167.333 (except 167.332) do not apply to commercially grown poultry, to animals subject to good animal husbandry practices, or to the other listed cases such as livestock being transported by owner or common carrier and animals in rodeos or similar exhibitions. Whether a backyard flock is commercially grown poultry was not established.
- Because domesticated fowl are livestock for these sections (ORS 609.125, read in the 2025 edition), the shelter and exercise-space parts of minimum care that are written for domestic animals were not applied to chickens here. The Legislature’s chapter 609 page says sections of that chapter were amended in its 2026 regular session; whether ORS 609.125 was among them was not checked, so this point is dated to the 2025 edition. The sections read set no numerical space standard.
What the checked sources say
- Minimum care means care sufficient to preserve an animal’s health and well-being and, except for emergencies or circumstances beyond the owner’s reasonable control, includes enough food for normal growth or maintenance of body weight, open or adequate access to enough potable water (snow or ice does not count), and veterinary care a reasonably prudent person would think necessary to relieve distress from injury, neglect or disease.
- Failing to provide minimum care for an animal in your custody or control, intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence, is animal neglect in the second degree, a Class B misdemeanor, except as otherwise authorized by law. It is a Class C felony instead in listed cases, including when the offense was part of a criminal episode involving 11 or more animals.
The official wording
(3) “Animal” means any nonhuman mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian or fish. (4) “Domestic animal” means an animal, other than livestock or equines, that is owned or possessed by a person.
ORS 167.310(3)-(4) · Checked
(8)(a) “Livestock,” except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, has the meaning provided in ORS 609.125. (b) “Livestock” does not include psittacines.
ORS 167.310(8) · Checked
609.125 Definition of “livestock.” As used in ORS 609.135 to 609.190, “livestock” means ratites, psittacines, horses, hinnies, mules, donkeys, cattle, llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, swine, domesticated fowl and any fur-bearing animal bred and maintained commercially or otherwise, within pens, cages and hutches.
ORS 609.125 · Checked
(9) “Minimum care” means care sufficient to preserve the health and well-being of an animal and, except for emergencies or circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the owner, includes, but is not limited to, the following requirements:
ORS 167.310(9), opening · Checked
(a) Food of sufficient quantity and quality to allow for normal growth or maintenance of body weight. (b) Open or adequate access to potable water in sufficient quantity to satisfy the animal’s needs. Access to snow or ice is not adequate access to potable water.
ORS 167.310(9)(a)-(b) · Checked
(d) Veterinary care deemed necessary by a reasonably prudent person to relieve distress from injury, neglect or disease.
ORS 167.310(9)(d) · Checked
(1) A person commits the crime of animal neglect in the second degree if, except as otherwise authorized by law, the person intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence: (a) Fails to provide minimum care for an animal in such person’s custody or control; or
ORS 167.325(1)(a) · Checked
(2) Animal neglect in the second degree is a Class B misdemeanor.
ORS 167.325(2) · Checked
(1) Unless gross negligence can be shown, the provisions of ORS 167.315 to 167.333, other than the provisions of ORS 167.332, do not apply to: (a) The treatment of livestock being transported by owner or common carrier; (b) Animals involved in rodeos or similar exhibitions; (c) Commercially grown poultry; (d) Animals subject to good animal husbandry practices;
ORS 167.335(1)(a)-(d) · Checked
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, animal neglect in the second degree is a Class C felony if:
ORS 167.325(3), opening · Checked
(b) The offense was part of a criminal episode involving 11 or more animals;
ORS 167.325(3)(b) · Checked
National or state rules on keeping poultry
Conditions apply to this finding
Jurisdiction: Oregon
Applies to: Oregon cities’ power over their local affairs (ORS 221.410), counties’ ordinance power over matters of county concern (ORS 203.035), and counties’ duty to adopt zoning ordinances (ORS 215.050).
Outside this finding's scope
- No statewide permission or prohibition on keeping chickens is established by this finding. Your city may act on its local affairs, and your county may act by ordinance on matters of county concern, so check with them. This page names the state law, not their own ordinances, and doesn't cover HOA, rooster or setback rules. Oregon’s right-to-farm statutes were not read.
What the checked sources say
- Except as limited by express provision or necessary implication of general law, an Oregon city may take all action necessary or convenient for the government of its local affairs.
- A county governing body or its electors may, by ordinance, exercise authority within the county over matters of county concern, to the fullest extent the federal and state constitutions and laws allow. As published in the 2025 edition, ORS 215.050(1) also says that, except as provided in ORS 527.722, the county governing body must adopt a comprehensive plan and zoning, subdivision and other ordinances for all land in the county; the Legislature’s chapter 215 page says sections of that chapter were amended in its 2026 regular session, and whether 215.050 was among them was not checked.
The official wording
(1) Except as limited by express provision or necessary implication of general law, a city may take all action necessary or convenient for the government of its local affairs.
ORS 221.410(1) · Checked
(1) Subject to subsection (3) of this section, the governing body or the electors of a county may by ordinance exercise authority within the county over matters of county concern, to the fullest extent allowed by Constitutions and laws of the United States and of this state,
ORS 203.035(1), opening · Checked
(1) Except as provided in ORS 527.722, the county governing body shall adopt and may from time to time revise a comprehensive plan and zoning, subdivision and other ordinances applicable to all of the land in the county.
ORS 215.050(1), first sentence · Checked
Bird flu right now? PoultryPal's bird-flu tracker for Oregon has the latest we've checked.
Next door
Every state on the map →Common questions
- Do I have to register backyard chickens in Oregon?
- Registration: not established. The finding covers: Oregon Revised Statutes chapter 596 (animal disease control), read in full on 25 October 2026. Outside this finding's scope: No registration duty for poultry keepers was found in ORS chapter 596; its registration sections cover animal remedies and veterinary products. The Oregon Administrative Rules and ODA’s animal identification pages were not read, so this is not proof that none exists.
- Can I keep chickens in my backyard in Oregon?
- The state law we read gives a named local body its own powers over where hens can live. Except as limited by express provision or necessary implication of general law, an Oregon city may take all action necessary or convenient for the government of its local affairs. A county governing body or its electors may, by ordinance, exercise authority within the county over matters of county concern, to the fullest extent the federal and state constitutions and laws allow. As published in the 2025 edition, ORS 215.050(1) also says that, except as provided in ORS 527.722, the county governing body must adopt a comprehensive plan and zoning, subdivision and other ordinances for all land in the county; the Legislature’s chapter 215 page says sections of that chapter were amended in its 2026 regular session, and whether 215.050 was among them was not checked. No statewide permission or prohibition on keeping chickens is established by this finding. Your city may act on its local affairs, and your county may act by ordinance on matters of county concern, so check with them. This page names the state law, not their own ordinances, and doesn't cover HOA, rooster or setback rules. Oregon’s right-to-farm statutes were not read. Look up the local rules where you live (the ordinances, bylaws or zoning of the body named here), or ask that office, before you get hens.
- Do I have to keep my hens indoors for bird flu in Oregon?
- Housing orders come and go, so we never show one as current. This page links the official status page to check today. PoultryPal's bird-flu tracker page for Oregon has the latest we've checked.
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