Valencia County, NM Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- § 92.03(B), § 92.04(2)
- Covers
- Chickens, poultry, cattle, goats, rabbits, equines
- Condition
- Exclusion lost if hazard is documented
- Max penalty if hazard found
- $300 fine or 90 days jail
- Related rule
- § 90.068 dog-vs-livestock liability
- Applies
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
Unincorporated Valencia County classifies keeping chickens, poultry, cattle, goats, rabbits and other farm animals as an agricultural activity, and Chapter 92's nuisance code excludes agricultural uses that don't create a health or safety hazard. Backyard flocks and small livestock herds face no nuisance-based restriction unless the keeping turns hazardous.
(B) Agricultural activities. All agricultural uses, agricultural facilities, agricultural operations, and agricultural activities as defined herein, which uses do not cause a health or safety hazard, are excluded from the provisions of this chapter. ... AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES. Activities which are agricultural in nature and which include: ... (2) The breeding, hatching, raising, producing, slaughtering, processing, feeding, keeping, or boarding of livestock, hogs, aquatic animals, equines (which term shall include a llama, horse, pony, mule, donkey, zonkey, zebra, hinny or other similar animal), chickens, turkeys, poultry or other fowl, cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits or similar farm animals for any lawful purposes;
Full Breakdown
03(B) excludes 'agricultural uses, agricultural facilities, agricultural operations, and agricultural activities as defined herein, which uses do not cause a health or safety hazard' from the entire public nuisance chapter. , chickens, turkeys, poultry or other fowl, cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits or similar farm animals for any lawful purposes,' so a household coop or small pasture herd in the unincorporated county is covered from the outset. No nuisance permit, hearing or variance is required to keep chickens, goats, rabbits or cattle outside Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms, Peralta and Rio Communities, each of which regulates animals within its own limits.
03, so livestock that becomes a documented health or safety hazard, such as unmanaged waste creating odor or vermin, loses the agricultural protection and can be charged as a nuisance. 068 makes clear that if a dog kills or injures livestock or poultry, the dog's owner is liable, and the livestock owner may act against the dog on property the livestock owner controls, showing the county continues to treat kept livestock and poultry as protected property even while exempting their keeping from nuisance rules.
Violations & Fines
There's no separate fine for ordinary backyard chickens or livestock because Chapter 92 excludes them from its coverage. If keeping becomes a genuine health or safety hazard and loses the agricultural exclusion, § 92.99 applies the chapter's standard penalty: a fine of no more than $300, imprisonment of no more than 90 days, or both, per violation, with Code Enforcement handling complaints and possible abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep chickens on my property in unincorporated Valencia County?
Is there a limit on how many animals I can keep?
What if my neighbor's livestock smells or attracts pests?
Does keeping livestock protect it if a dog attacks it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Valencia County
How Valencia County compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Valencia County to another location·View the New Mexico animal ordinances overview
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