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

020(A). Residential lots zoned R-L-12, R-L-8, or R-L-5 may keep up to three chickens (subsection 1). An R-M lot may also keep up to three chickens, but only if the parcel holds exactly one single-family dwelling; R-M lots with a multi-family building or more than one single-family dwelling cannot keep chickens at all (subsection 2). Any other zoning designation is off-limits unless Title 17's zoning code separately allows it (subsection 3). Chickens must stay confined to a coop or run on the owner's own property at all times (subsection 4), and on R-L-12, R-L-8, or R-L-5 lots they cannot be kept in the front or side yard, or slaughtered anywhere on the lot (subsections 5-6).

Owners must keep chicken areas sanitary, collecting feces, feathers, and other waste and storing it in an air-tight container so odor does not reach an adjoining property, and feed must be kept in a rodent-proof container (subsections 7-8). Chickens cannot run at large on city streets, alleys, or public places, and roosters are banned outright in every zone with no exception (subsections 9-10). 030 sets the physical standards for the coop and run: four walls, a solid roof, and adequate ventilation; the structure must sit at least 10 feet from any property line and at least 5 feet from any inhabitable building, including secondary dwellings; it must sit behind a solid fence or wall; and it must provide at least 4 square feet of space per bird, plus a roost, feeder, and water source at all times. The run must be fully fenced to prevent the birds from roaming and follows the same 10-foot and 5-foot setbacks as the coop.