To keep chickens or other farm animals in Simi Valley, the parcel must be inside the City's Animal (A) Overlay Zone (or the more restrictive Limited (L) Overlay Zone), or must be at least 20,000 square feet with a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) under Simi Valley Municipal Code § 9-44.060. Roosters are separately capped at four (4) per parcel under the adopted Ventura County Code § 4494-3, with a 40-foot setback from neighboring residences.
Simi Valley's farm-animal rules are split between two codes. The Development Code (SVMC § 9-44.060, 'Animal Keeping') requires that farm animals be kept on a parcel within an Animal Overlay Zone. The Animal (A) Overlay Zone permits all farm animals including chickens, while the Limited (L) Overlay Zone allows only burros, Columbiformes (pigeons/doves), donkeys, ducks, goats, horses, llamas, mules, ponies, and rabbits. Within the (L) Overlay Zone, hens are capped at five per parcel and must be kept in a coop with three to six square feet per hen and a maximum coop height of six feet. There is no minimum parcel size inside an overlay zone, but density and setback standards from § 9-44.060 must be met. For parcels outside any overlay zone, farm animals may be kept only as an accessory use on a minimum 20,000 sq ft parcel with an approved CUP. Separately, Simi Valley adopts Ventura County Code Article 9 (§ 4494-1 et seq.) regulating roosters: no person may keep five or more roosters on a parcel; rooster enclosures must be set back at least 40 feet from adjacent residences; roosters may not be tethered; and roosters must have water, shelter, room to spread both wings and turn fully, and clean and sanitary premises.
Keeping farm animals outside an overlay zone without a CUP, or exceeding the per-zone limits, is a zoning violation enforceable by Code Enforcement. Keeping five or more roosters is a misdemeanor/infraction under VCC § 4494-5, and each rooster over the limit and each tethered rooster is a separate violation; an Animal Control Officer may also issue an administrative civil penalty under Article 8.
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