Vacaville allows home chicken keeping as a non-commercial accessory use to single-family residences in agricultural and lower-density residential zones with a 6,000 sq ft minimum lot size. The cap is one adult hen per 1,000 sq ft of lot area, up to nine hens total. Roosters are prohibited citywide. Other livestock require an agricultural or rural-zoned parcel under Title 14 (Land Use & Development Code).
Vacaville's home chicken-keeping rules are implemented through the Land Use and Development Code (VMC Title 14) and clarifying amendments adopted by the City Council in March 2013. Backyard chickens are allowed only as a non-commercial accessory use to a single-family dwelling on lots in the following zones: Agricultural (AG), Hillside Agriculture (AH), Rural Residential (RR), Rural Estate (RE), and Residential Low Density RL-10, RL-8, and RL-6 (i.e., zones with at least a 6,000 sq ft minimum lot size). Density is capped at one adult hen per 1,000 sq ft of lot area, with an overall maximum of nine hens per parcel. Roosters are not permitted. Setbacks and coop sanitation are enforced under Chapter 6.20 (Animal Nuisances), which makes it unlawful to allow fowl to run or fly at large or to trespass on neighboring property. Larger livestock - horses, goats, cattle, sheep, pigs - are limited to parcels expressly zoned for animal keeping. The Solano County Agricultural Commissioner regulates commercial poultry under state Food & Agricultural Code rules.
Keeping a rooster, exceeding the nine-hen cap, or maintaining chickens in a prohibited zone is a zoning violation enforced by Community Development. Fowl running at large or creating nuisance odors/noise violate VMC Ch. 6.20 and can trigger administrative citations, code-compliance abatement, and orders to remove the animals.
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