Cupertino, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

020, item 33(c), governs household fowl in the Residential Hillside (RHS) zoning district: it limits household pets to one per three thousand square feet of lot area, except that the number of geese, ducks, chickens, rabbits and other farm animals is not limited on a site greater than one acre. Dogs within that same formula are capped at two on RHS lots under one acre and four on lots of an acre or more. Larger livestock is addressed separately under item 35, 'Large animals': RHS lots may keep two large animals on the first 40,000 square feet of land, with mules and donkeys requiring 80,000 square feet for the first animal, plus one additional large animal for each additional 20,000 square feet, and one more if the animal is raised for a 4-H project or a school or recognized agricultural-organization project, provided none are kept, maintained or raised for commercial purposes.

Any animal not covered by items 33, 34 or 35 needs an administrative conditional use permit in the RHS zone under item 36. In the Agricultural (A) zone, poultry raising and hatcheries are permitted outright under item 1(h) of the same table, while the Agricultural-Residential (A-1) zone requires a Planning Commission conditional use permit for the same activity.