Shasta County, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Chicken/poultry cap
- 25 birds per half acre (A-1 district)
- Large livestock cap
- 1 horse, mule or steer per half acre
- Small livestock cap
- 3 goats, sheep, swine, llamas or alpacas per half acre
- Minimum lot size
- 1 acre gross area for agricultural use
- Exceeding limits
- Requires use permit under Sec. 17.04.040(A)
- Sanitation rule
- Must comply with Secs. 6.04.050 and 6.04.060
Summary
In Shasta County's Limited Agriculture (A-1) district, keeping chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese or rabbits is capped at twenty-five birds per half-acre of gross lot area under Section 17.04.020(B)(1). Larger livestock like goats or a horse carry their own per-half-acre caps, and lots must total at least one acre to qualify.
1.Animal husbandry does not exceed the following number and type of animals per one-half acre:a.One horse, mule, steer or similar sized animal, orb.Three goats, sheep, swine, llamas, alpacas or similar sized animals, orc.Three adult emus, rheas, ostriches or similar sized birds, ord.Twenty-five turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits or similar sized animals, ore.Unlimited fish, frogs, worms or similar sized animals;2.Animals shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition (see Section 6.04.050) and in a manner that does not become a nuisance (see Section 6.04.060);
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
Shasta County's zoning code treats animal-keeping as an agricultural use permitted outright only where the underlying lot contains at least one acre of gross area. 020(B)(1) of the Limited Agriculture (A-1) district caps animal husbandry by type and lot size, measured per half-acre: one horse, mule, steer or similar-sized animal; three goats, sheep, swine, llamas, alpacas or similar-sized animals; three adult emus, rheas, ostriches or similar-sized birds; twenty-five turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits or similar-sized animals; and an unlimited number of fish, frogs, worms or similar-sized animals.
020(B)(1) permits without discretionary review. 020(B)(1), making the half-acre ratio the countywide baseline outside town centers. 020(B)' as a use-permit category reviewed case by case. 060.
Violations & Fines
Keeping animals beyond the per-half-acre caps in Section 17.04.020(B)(1) without first obtaining the use permit required by Section 17.04.040(A) is a zoning violation the Shasta County Department of Resource Management can act on through code enforcement, up to requiring a reduced animal count or removal of unpermitted structures. Complaints alleging unsanitary or nuisance conditions are handled separately under Sections 6.04.050 and 6.04.060.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chickens can I keep on my Shasta County property?
Can I keep goats or a horse in unincorporated Shasta County?
What happens if I exceed the animal limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shasta County
How Shasta County compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·California rules heatmap·Compare Shasta County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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