Chico Municipal Code (CMC) Title 19.76.040 allows hens as accessory animal keeping at a ratio of 1 bird per 250 sq ft of lot area, with coops set back 50 ft from any dwelling. Roosters are prohibited and no coop permit is required. Larger livestock (goats, horses, cattle) is limited to AG/RR-zoned parcels under Title 19.
Chico regulates animal keeping through the zoning ordinance (Title 19) rather than a standalone animal husbandry chapter. CMC §19.76.040 sets the keeping ratio for poultry at one hen per 250 square feet of lot area (excluding the dwelling and required setback areas). Roosters are not permitted in residential zones. Coops or other animal enclosures must be set back at least 50 feet from any neighboring dwelling. No separate coop permit or business license is required for residential hens kept as accessory to a dwelling. Beyond hens, livestock such as goats, horses, sheep, and cattle are generally limited to the Agricultural Residential (AR) and Public/Quasi-Public (PQ) districts in Chico, with minimum lot sizes (typically 40,000 sq ft or larger per CMC Title 19 zoning tables) and additional setbacks. Statewide, Cal. Food & Agric. Code §31000 et seq. governs general animal welfare and Cal. Pen. Code §597 establishes basic care duties (food, water, shelter). Avian flu (HPAI H5) is monitored by Butte County Department of Agriculture; backyard flocks should register through CDFA for outbreak notifications.
Violations of Title 19 are enforced through Code Enforcement. A first offense Title 7 animal-related fine is $75, second is $150, third is $300 (CMC §1.16). Rooster nuisance complaints, undersized lot keeping, or setback violations can result in abatement orders.
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