Mendocino County, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

In the unincorporated county, keeping chickens and small livestock is governed by the Mendocino County Zoning Ordinance (Title 20), specifically the agricultural use-type definitions in Chapter 20.032. The County defines 'Animal raising—personal' as the raising of hen chickens or rabbits for personal use on parcels forty thousand (40,000) square feet or less in size. For these personal operations, coops or pens must be maintained at a distance of fifty (50) feet or more from buildings used for human habitation, and coops or pens shall be located no closer than five (5) feet from the side or rear property line. Larger or commercial-scale animal keeping falls under 'Animal raising—general agriculture,' defined as the raising of crops or livestock on parcels greater than 40,000 square feet (or land zoned A-G, R-L, U-R, F-L or TPZ), and includes animal husbandry such as the breeding and raising of cattle, sheep, horses, goats, pigs, rabbits, and poultry, including egg production. Whether you can keep chickens, and how many, depends on your parcel size and zoning district, so the controlling questions are the lot's size and zone rather than a flat countywide bird count. The County publishes the zoning code through Municode and eLaws. Because the personal definition references 'hen chickens,' owners considering roosters should confirm allowances and any nuisance-noise limits with the Planning & Building Services Department for their specific zone.