Keeping chickens and small livestock in unincorporated Sonoma County is governed by the Zoning Code's animal-density rules, administered by Permit Sonoma. Density depends on the zoning district and parcel size. In Rural Residential zoning, one horse or cow, five goats, or fifty chickens are allowed per 20,000 square feet of parcel area.
In the unincorporated county, the number of farm animals you may keep is set by the Sonoma County Zoning Code (Chapter 26) and administered by Permit Sonoma, the county's land-use and permitting agency, rather than by the Animal Services ordinance in Chapter 5. According to Permit Sonoma's agriculture and animals guidance, animal limits scale with the zoning district and parcel size. As an illustration the county gives for the Rural Residential (RR) district, a property may keep one horse or one cow, or five goats, or fifty chickens for every 20,000 square feet of parcel area. In the Agriculture and Residential (AR) and the agricultural zoning districts, those same per-area limits apply to parcels of two acres or less, while larger parcels in those agricultural districts have no fixed numerical limit under the example given. Because exact allowances, setbacks, and any rooster or nuisance considerations turn on a parcel's specific zoning designation, residents should confirm their district and current standards with Permit Sonoma before establishing or expanding a flock or herd. Separately, animal-related odors, flies, or unsanitary conditions can be addressed as a public nuisance under County Code Chapter 5.
Keeping more animals than the parcel's zoning allows, or creating odor, vermin, or sanitation problems, can trigger Permit Sonoma code enforcement and nuisance abatement; nuisance conditions may also be cited under County Code Chapter 5.
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