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

Sacramento County regulates backyard poultry through its Zoning Code (Use Regulations), enforced by the County's Code Enforcement and Planning divisions in unincorporated areas. Chickens, roosters, ducks, and geese may generally be kept on residential property with a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet, where the County allows as many birds as can be maintained in a healthy, sanitary, nuisance-free condition incidental to a permitted residential use. On lots smaller than 10,000 square feet, the keeping of egg-laying chickens and ducks is allowed subject to a density limit: residentially zoned parcels may have one such animal for every 1,000 square feet of parcel area, or one for every 200 square feet of rear-yard area, whichever is less. County Code Enforcement guidance further requires that birds be housed only in the rear yard, kept at least 20 feet from all neighboring residential dwellings at all times, provided a covered coop (roof and four sides) for roosting at night, and given at least 10 square feet of foraging/roaming space per animal. Renters must obtain written permission from the property owner. Roosters (crowing fowl) carry additional zoning-district restrictions described separately. Property owners should confirm their specific zoning with the Planning Department before keeping poultry.