Sacramento County

[El Pollo Rojo]

Unfortunately you are not allowed to have chickens in the unincorporated areas of the county of Sacramento unless you have a lot size that is larger than 10,000 square feet. If your lot size is larger - no problem.

If it is smaller, then your only hope is to work to have the code changed, or have neighbors who do not complain. Our best bet in Sacramento County is to work to get the code changed. Currently the cities in the county which allow backyard chickens are Folsom, Sacramento, Elk Grove, Galt, and Isleton. Citrus Heights and Rancho Cordova copied their city codes directly from the county codes when they incorporated and hence require 10,00 square foot lots.

 

[El Pollo Rojo]

I have been wanting to do the same thing. What we need to do is create a group to promote this. Keys are to get some players on our side such as Soil Born Farms, and other groups. We should also contact the group that was successful in the city - to see what methods were successful. After that use the media. I have e-mailed all of the county supervisors. Susan Peters is a no - unless we can change her mind through pressure. Kennedy is a yes [he also has backyard hens]. The others I am unsure of. What we want to do is get them individually, one by one, on our side until we have a majority. Then bring it to the board for a vote - when we know we will win.

Here is a list of cities in California which already allow backyard chickens. It is not a complete list. In Sacramento County, the cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Elk Grove, Galt, and Isleton allow backyard chickens. Rancho Cordova and Citrus Heights copied their regulations directly from the county when they incorporated.

California Chicken Friendly Laws


Anaheim, CA: (Title 8, Ch 8) Annual permit fee for any number or hens.

Bakersfield, CA: (Municipal code 6.08.010) Chickens must be "kept securely enclosed in a yard or pen at all times."

Belmont, CA: Up to 20 hens (no roosters over 4 months old) confined in a clean coop.

Berkeley, CA: Chickens must be kept penned and 30 ft. away from any bedrooms.

Campbell, CA: Chickens allowed (no roosters) provided there are no more than six animals in all at household. Larger quantities allowed upon successful appeal to city manager.

Chula Vista, CA: Up to 12 chickens are permitted on a minimum of 7,000 square feet of land, up to 25, on land where one family occupies one home. An enclosure is required, but must be no closer than 50 feet from neighboring homes.

Davis, CA: A total of not more than six hens (in combination with other animals) in a sanitary pen no less than 40 feet from neighboring residences.

Del Mar, CA: No ordinance regarding raising chickens. City officials refer to county codes, if necessary.

Downey, CA: Up to five chickens allowed per lot.

El Cajon, CA: Up to 24 chickens are permitted on single-family lots of at least 20,000 square feet in certain residential areas. Chickens must be kept 50 feet from any neighboring residence.

Encinitas, CA: Up to 10 chickens are permitted in all residential areas. More allowed on larger lots. Coops must be no closer than 35 feet of neighboring homes.

Folsom, CA: Not more than any combination of two chickens, ducks, pigeons and rabbits shall be kept within any zoning district of the city other than agricultural or agricultural combining districts; and said animals shall be kept or maintained at least twenty feet from any property line.

Irvine, CA: 2-4 hens over the age of four months allowed, kept in a sanitary, odor free enclosure. No roosters are allowed.

Lafayette, CA: Residents can keep approximately 4 chickens.

Lemon Grove, CA: Up to three chickens are permitted, in enclosures, in certain residential areas. One chicken per 1,000 square feet, up to 25 are permitted in other residential areas. Coops must be no closer than 20 feet from neighboring homes.

Long Beach, CA: Up to 20 hens allowed per household. No roosters. Must be 20 feet from a dwelling and confined.

Los Altos, CA: 1 hen per 1,000 square feet of lot space. No restrictions on coop location. No roosters.

Los Angeles, CA: (Ch 1, Art 2) No permit required for 5 or less.

Mission Viejo, CA: You are allowed up to two chickens, and roosters are not allowed.

Mountain View, CA: Up to 4 hens witho
residential areas. Coops must be no closer than 20 feet from neighboring homes
Oakland, CA: Keep chicken enclosed, & 20 ft. from any dwelling, church or school.

Oceanside, CA: Up to six chickens are permitted in residential areas, but they must be 35 feet from neighboring houses.

Petaluma, CA: Up to twenty animals of mixed combination. Chickens must be kept five feet from a neighbors fence or property line, and they must be kept 20 ft. from neighboring dwellings.

Poway, CA: Up to six chickens are permitted on lots measuring between 6,000 and 20,000 square feet. More are allowed on larger lots, but coops must be at least 35 feet from neighboring homes.

Redwood City, CA: Up to three hens (no roosters) confined within a clean coop.

Roseville, CA: Maximum 10 chickens kept 20 ft. from any property line &/or building.

San Diego, CA: Up to 25 chickens in certain residential areas. Coops must be no closer than 50 feet from neighboring homes.

San Francisco, CA: (Health code Art 1, Ch 37) No permit needed for 4 or fewer (permit for more) must be 20 feet from any door or window.

San Jose, CA: Up to 6 chickens at least 20 ft. from residences. Up to 4 chickens 15 ft. away from residences. 0 less than 15 ft. No roosters.

Santee, CA: One chicken permitted per 2,000 square feet in certain residential areas. Enclosures must be a certain distance from property lines.

Woodland, CA: Up to 6 hens allowed provided they are kept over 40 feet from neighboring residences.

Vallejo, CA: You are allowed to keep up to 25 chickens if they are kept 15 ft. from neighboring dwellings. Roosters are allowed but subject to noise nuisance violations.

Vista, CA: Two chickens are permitted in certain single-family residential areas, and up to 25 in other areas.
ut a permit, more w/permit. Keep 25 ft. from residences. Within 25 ft. is o.k. with written consent from residences. No roosters.


 

[MalayStyle]

Well I live in sacramento New natomas area and I am going to keep them in my backyard. I am sure my neighbors don't mind, as i never complained about their dogs and they are animal lovers with horses (country folks, great for me) so I can get away with it, i hope. My other neighbors and I hang out so I'm good there. Right behind me are Fijian family I talk to as well so I'm sure they are use to chickens being around. Diagonally they have chickens too. One time they tried to keep roosters too but they got rid of the next day. I was missing the crow.



I got a plan B keeping roosters indoors.

Plan C. Keep it with my friends chickens in the country side.

Plan on keeping 20+ Serama (5-6 roosters) and 3 to 4 Rhode island reds. Overkill maybe? Hahahahaha! Ill find out and keep you guys updated. Turning one alley on the side of the house into a aviary which extends into part of the back yard gated outside of my soon to be raise bed garden.

 

[BroodyBunch-CA]

I have been in contact with sac county zoning for unincorporated sacramento rd-5 zone and they have said 10,000 Sq ft lot size can keep any amount of chickens/roosters, ducks and geese that you can care for properly, no permits required but you must meet minimum lot requirement. However they are trying to change the "crowing fowl" number this summer no owners will be grandfathered in.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Of course they are, they want to urbanize the county. I have the acreage but the wrong zoning...

 

[BroodyBunch-CA]

What zoning do you have? I live in residential but I have over 10000 Sq ft.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

It is one that I must pay them big money to have a few hens... I think RD5 (if I remember right) but that's the deal.

A friend up in Roseville told me her flock was just made "illegal" because they changed the rules about how far the coop must be from houses.

 

[BroodyBunch-CA]

I live in Rd 5 residential unicorporated sacramento county, and I don't have to pay anything. I live in foothill farms. Roseville is Placer county their rules are different..here's the email to the gentleman I was speaking with he was awesome and said he'd keep me updated too his name is Krinjal and email is [email protected] just tell him Christy the not crazy chicken lady (not yet) passed his info along. I'm sure he'll know who I am at this point, poor guy. Just give him your address and he will look it all up for you.
Or email his office at [email protected]. I was terrified they were going to say I am illegal and I'm not. So my roos can stay for now. Thank god, I love them all and just had a bunch of babies so I'll be picking out keepers very soon. Have 5 indoor babies that for sure stay, my 5 year old son would have me skinned if I didnt. He's named them all ready. Have about 20 viable in the new incubator (not my method of choice but needed a practice run for those emergency situations) but keep me posted as to what they say! I hated birds and was terrified had a mean ol rooster as a kid too, but these guys, they're my favorite pet I think I've ever had.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I will check again, but last time I checked I was in a no-no roo zone & pay a lot for a single hen and they could say no and keep the $, I do know several people have well hidden flocks in and around the neighborhood.

 

[manychitlens]

I live in the city of Sacramento. While I'm so happy that they are allowing us to keep hens, I have to say that I have a few issues with the number. We are allowed to have 3. My issues are these:

1. Three hens is simply not a great number. What if one of them dies? You can't just raise a single chick to put in with the older hens, and introducing one new adult hen isn't ideal either depending on the temperament of your older girls. Or what if two of them died? I mean we have raccoons, opossums, skunks, falcons, hawks... plus dogs and cats, it could definitely happen. Then you have one lonely hen.

2. And what about when your birds start getting up there in age? I don't have a problem with running a hen retirement community, but I still want eggs. So now I have to wait years until my hens kick the bucket until I can have my own eggs again? Although I suppose I could find a loophole, since technically the city ordinance states "three laying hens".

3. I have a family of six. Me, my baby girl who is 18mos, three boys, and a husband who eats like a teenager. Assuming that the hens lay 3-4 eggs per week, at three hens, that gives us 9-12 eggs. My household easily goes through 18 per week without even trying. We go through 14 eggs just for a scrambled egg breakfast. So I have to either not eat or use any eggs for 2 weeks to be able to make one breakfast, or I still have to buy eggs at the store. Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose?

I don't have any fantasies about having roosters, because I know that would never happen, and that's fine. But I wish they would consider raising the number of hens we are allowed. There are plenty of other cities within Ca that allow many more hens without issue.

Edited to add: I am a considerate neighbor, with abut 1/4 acre, in a nice neighborhood. I am friendly with my neighbors on all sides, except for the one in back of me, who is kind of a recluse. I have 6 chicks, because we want to actually not have to buy eggs from the store (I realize there are times when we will have to, but I don't want to do it on a regular basis). I'm afraid to even get the coop or hen permit, because I don't want to be on their radar. I hate living illegally, it stresses me out! But, I don't feel like the current law is reasonable, and that they should revisit it.