Santee, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Table 13.10.030B lists 'Fowl' (chickens, hens, turkeys, geese or game birds, with roosters prohibited) as allowed in the HL, R-1, R-1A and R-2 zones, and its footnote c limits the count to one animal per every 2,000 square feet of site area, so a typical 8,000-square-foot R-1A lot supports up to four birds. Section 13.10.030(F)(3) layers a full set of husbandry rules on top of that numeric cap. Chickens must stay in fully enclosed, covered enclosures at all times and can't run at large on the property.

Coops need rodent- and hawk-proof hardwire buried at least 18 inches below grade, all-weather shelter with a solid top, and durable weather-resistant construction. Coops and enclosures are restricted to the rear yard and must sit back a minimum of 15 feet from the rear and side lot lines in the R-2 zone, or 20 feet in the HL, R-1 and R-1A zones. Feed has to be stored in rodent-proof containers, manure and refuse in tight containers until removed, and any dead bird buried at least three feet deep within 24 hours or kept in an air-tight container pending disposal.

Breeding chickens and any commercial slaughtering process are both flatly prohibited. The section also disables its own permission where a lease or a restrictive covenant on the property bans chickens, and it declares any failure to meet these rules a public nuisance under Section 1.10.030.