In residential areas of unincorporated Kings County, Animal Services states you may keep chickens, pigeons, quail and similar small birds — but no roosters. Larger poultry and livestock keeping depends on zoning. Agricultural-zoned land allows much more.
Kings County is a major agricultural county, and poultry-keeping is common, but the rules differ between residential and agricultural areas of the unincorporated county. Kings County Animal Services advises that in residential areas you are allowed dogs, cats, small domestic animals (such as rabbits and hamsters), birds including chickens, pigeons, quail and others of similar size — but no roosters — and some livestock. Roosters are singled out because of crowing noise that can disturb neighbors. The County Code (Chapter 4, Animals and Fowl) defines 'fowl' to include chickens, turkeys, emus, ostriches and all other domestic or domesticated fowl other than household pets, and separately regulates fowl and livestock kept on property. How many birds you may keep, and whether roosters or larger flocks are allowed, depends heavily on the zoning of the parcel — agricultural (AX/AR) zones permit far more poultry than residential lots. The County also enforces noise and nuisance rules (Sec. 4-79) against animals that disturb the neighborhood. Before starting a flock, confirm your parcel's zoning with Kings County Community Development and review Chapter 4 with Animal Services. State law and County code also require humane care, food, water and shelter for all birds kept.
Keeping roosters in residential areas, or keeping fowl in numbers or zones not permitted, can trigger nuisance abatement and citations. Birds whose noise unreasonably disturbs neighbors may be cited as a noisy-animal infraction under Sec. 4-79. Neglecting birds (no food, water, shelter) can be prosecuted under state animal-cruelty law.
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