West Covina, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 26-111 of the Development Code governs animal keeping on any lot legally used as a single-family residence. Poultry and fowl are capped at six birds per lot; roosters are prohibited outright. Domestic homing pigeons get a separate allowance: up to 24 birds with an administrative permit, subject to loft setbacks of 35 feet from any property line or habitable building, a 100-foot buffer from any school or hospital, sealed feed storage, and limits on how often and how long birds may fly free. Rabbits, chinchillas, hamsters, reptiles and similar small animals are capped at six per site for noncommercial domestic use.

Bovine animals, sheep and goats are allowed only in the R-A zone on lots of 20,000 square feet or more, with one animal permitted per 20,000 square feet, two at 35,000 square feet, and three at a full acre. Horses follow their own table starting at two horses on a 20,000-square-foot lot and rising to five horses on lots of 42,500 square feet or more (lower thresholds apply on lots adjoining equestrian facilities and trails); horses under ten months old don't count against the cap.

Up to ten total horses or bovine animals can be approved with a conditional use permit, and commercial boarding or breeding of horses also requires one. All poultry, pigeons, small animals, bovine animals and horses must be confined in a corral, pen or enclosure; horses specifically need at least 240 square feet of corral or a 12-by-12-foot stable per animal, with corral fencing at least five feet high. Manure must be stored in water-tight, closed containers or composted under sealed tarp and disposed of at least weekly, and barns, corrals and stables must be cleaned weekly so dust, flies and odor are undetectable from neighboring properties.