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

Amador County does not have a separate 'backyard chicken' ordinance; animal keeping is governed by zoning (County Code Title 19). In the R1-A Single-Family Residential-Agricultural district, permitted uses include 'poultry farms' and 'the raising, feeding, maintaining, breeding, and slaughtering of livestock, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, pigeons, ducks, geese, fish, frogs, and small animals or fowl' (Section 19.24.045(C)). In the agricultural (AG) district, raising chickens, turkeys, rabbits, ducks, geese and similar fowl 'in household numbers for family use' is permitted without a use permit (19.24.036(G)). Quantity-control rules are in Chapter 19.48: Section 19.48.065 requires that 'enclosed pens and feeding areas for livestock on parcels less than ten acres in size shall observe a minimum twenty-five-foot setback from all property lines.' The County Code does not cap the number of hens for ordinary residential keeping. Noise is governed generally: under Section 8.08.030, an owner may not let an animal habitually make loud noise for 15 consecutive minutes or longer or otherwise create a public nuisance (an infraction). Because rules turn on your parcel's zoning district, confirm your classification with Amador County Planning.