Canyon County, ID Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Livestock defined as
- horses, mules, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, etc.
- Fowl/poultry must be
- confined to owner's premises in a pen
- Livestock at large
- prohibited on county roads and other land
- Impound fee, 1st offense
- $25.00
- Impound fee, 4th+ offense
- $100.00 or more
- Applies only in
- unincorporated Canyon County, Idaho
Summary
Unincorporated Canyon County requires livestock owners to keep animals off public roads and other people's property, and requires anyone keeping fowl, guineas or poultry, including backyard chickens, to confine them on their own premises inside a shed, pen or enclosure that stops them from wandering onto a neighbor's land.
A. Prohibited: It shall be unlawful for any person to allow livestock which he owns, keeps or harbors to be at large upon the roads, streets or alleys of the county or upon any premises other than his own. ... (3) Fowl And Poultry: It shall be unlawful for any person to keep fowl, guineas or poultry unless such fowl, guineas or poultry are at all times kept upon his own premises, within a shed, pen or other enclosure sufficient to restrain said fowl, guineas or poultry from trespassing upon the property of others.
Full Breakdown
Canyon County Code § 03-05-15(2)(A) makes it unlawful for anyone to allow livestock, defined at § 03-05-05 as horses, mules, donkeys, burros, llamas, cattle, sheep, buffalo, goats and pigs, to run at large on county roads, streets, alleys or any premises other than the owner's. Subsection (2)(B) requires anyone herding or driving an animal through the county to keep it under control by rope, strap or similar device unless it's harnessed or hauled, and directs animal control officers to seize and impound stray horses, mules, donkeys, burros, cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, buffalo or pigs found running loose.
Subsection (2)(C) carves out an exception for stockmen moving herds between pastures or to shipping, provided they move the animals through as quickly as possible; the stockman remains liable for property damage the herd causes along the way. For fowl and poultry specifically, § 03-05-15(3) makes it unlawful to keep fowl, guineas or poultry unless they are kept at all times on the owner's own premises, inside a shed, pen or other enclosure sufficient to restrain them from trespassing onto someone else's property; the code sets no minimum lot size or flock-count cap.
If livestock or fowl are found at large, § 03-05-17(2) and (3) let the animal control officer or a peace officer confine them in a livestock yard, first notifying the Idaho state brand inspector for livestock, and § 03-05-19(5) applies the same $25 to $100-plus tiered impound-fee schedule used for other impounded animals, plus boarding costs, before redemption.
Violations & Fines
Livestock found running loose on a county road or someone else's land can be impounded under § 03-05-17(2), and the owner pays the $25 to $100-plus tiered impound fee in § 03-05-19(5) plus boarding costs before getting the animal back. Fowl and poultry kept loose, rather than confined to the owner's premises as § 03-05-15(3) requires, face the same impound-and-redemption process under § 03-05-17(3).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep backyard chickens in unincorporated Canyon County?
What happens if my livestock gets loose in Canyon County?
Are ranchers allowed to move herds through the county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Canyon County
How Canyon County compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Canyon County to another location·View the Idaho animal ordinances overview
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