Calaveras County, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- R-1 hens/rabbits cap
- 8 total, including chicks
- R-1 minimum lot size
- 4,000 sq. ft.
- Roosters
- prohibited in R-1 zone
- Enclosure setback
- 30 ft. from neighbor's dwelling
- RR/RA<10ac livestock cap
- 1 animal-equivalent unit per acre
- More animals than allowed
- requires conditional use permit
Summary
Calaveras County caps backyard hens and rabbits at eight animals on an R-1 lot of at least 4,000 square feet, bans roosters, and requires a 30-foot setback from a neighbor's dwelling. On RR-zoned parcels and RA lots under ten acres, livestock is capped by an animal-equivalent-unit formula tied to acreage under Section 17.25.060.
E.Rabbits and Hens; R-1 Zone. Hens and rabbits may be kept as an accessory use to a primary residential use in the R-1 zone, in accordance with the following. Roosters are prohibited.1.Minimum Lot Size. four thousand square feet.2.Maximum Number. A total of eight hens and rabbits, including chicks.3.Enclosure. Hens and rabbits shall be located within an enclosure and not be allowed to roam at large.4.Location. The enclosure shall be located in the rear yard, a minimum of thirty feet from a residential dwelling on an adjacent property. F.Domestic Animals; RR Zone and Lots Less than ten Acres in the RA Zone. Livestock, including horses, donkeys, mules, burros, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, rabbits, hens, and other animals commonly kept for domestic purposes, except dogs and cats, may be kept as an accessory use to a primary residential use in the RR zone and lots less than ten acres in the RA zone in accordance with the following. ... 1.Minimum Lot Size. One acre.2.Maximum Number. A maximum of one animal equivalent unit is allowed per acre of land available for use by the animal(s).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
070, Animal Production, take over instead with much larger commercial thresholds, such as nine thousand laying hens or two hundred mature dairy cows. Everywhere else, animal keeping is allowed only as an accessory use to a primary residence, alongside compliance with Title 6. In the R-1 zone, subsection E permits hens and rabbits combined, including chicks, up to a total of eight animals, on a lot of at least 4,000 square feet; roosters are prohibited outright, the animals must stay in an enclosure rather than roam free, and that enclosure must sit in the rear yard at least 30 feet from a dwelling on an adjacent property.
In the RR zone and on RA lots smaller than ten acres, subsection F allows livestock such as horses, donkeys, mules, burros, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, rabbits, and hens (but not dogs or cats) on a minimum one-acre lot, capped at one animal-equivalent unit per acre. 025 unit each (forty per acre-unit). Subsection D also lets FFA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, or similar nonprofit youth husbandry projects temporarily keep finishing animals for sale in the RR and R-1 zones.
Violations & Fines
Keeping more hens and rabbits than the R-1 eight-animal cap, a rooster in the R-1 zone, or more livestock than the animal-equivalent-unit maximum on RR or sub-ten-acre RA parcels is a zoning violation. Subsection G allows additional animals beyond these numbers only with an approved conditional use permit; anything kept over the limit without one is enforceable under the county's Title 17 zoning enforcement provisions in Chapter 17.41.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chickens can I keep in Calaveras County's R-1 zone?
Can I keep a rooster on my property in the county?
How many horses or cattle can I keep on my RR-zoned acreage?
Are the limits different on agricultural-zoned land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Calaveras County
How Calaveras County compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·California rules heatmap·Compare Calaveras County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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