West Covina Chickens & Livestock Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

West Covina's Zoning Ordinance establishes which animals may be kept on residential properties based on the property's underlying zoning district. As a suburban city of approximately 106,000 residents in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, West Covina is characterized by relatively dense single-family and multi-family residential development on modest lot sizes, typically ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 square feet in standard subdivisions. The city's standard residential zones — R-1 (Single-Family Residential), R-2 (Two-Family Residential), and R-3 (Multiple-Family Residential) — do not permit the keeping of chickens, roosters, goats, pigs, sheep, horses, or other livestock and farm animals. The rationale is rooted in nuisance prevention: noise from roosters and other animals, odor from manure, attraction of rodents and predators, and the incompatibility of animal husbandry with the suburban density and lot sizes that predominate in West Covina.

The city does not offer a conditional use permit, home occupation permit, or any other discretionary approval pathway that would allow residents in standard residential zones to keep poultry or livestock. This places West Covina on the stricter end of the spectrum among San Gabriel Valley cities, some of which have adopted backyard chicken ordinances allowing limited numbers of hens on residential parcels. In West Covina, there is no such accommodation — the prohibition is absolute for properties zoned R-1, R-2, or R-3. Properties that carry an agricultural or equestrian-overlay zoning designation, which are rare within the city limits, may be eligible to keep certain animals subject to minimum lot size, setback, and enclosure standards specified in the Zoning Ordinance for those districts.

Rooster keeping is singled out for prohibition in all residential areas regardless of zoning, based on the noise disturbance they cause. Even on properties that might otherwise qualify for limited animal keeping, roosters are not permitted. The city's nuisance provisions further reinforce the animal restrictions: any animal kept in a manner that creates excessive noise, odor, unsanitary conditions, or attracts vermin may be declared a public nuisance and the owner ordered to abate the condition or remove the animal. Code enforcement actions for animal-related violations are handled by the West Covina Code Enforcement Division in coordination with the Planning Division.

Residents interested in keeping any type of farm animal should contact the West Covina Planning Division at (626) 939-8433 to verify their property's zoning designation before acquiring any animals. The Planning Division can confirm whether a specific parcel carries an agricultural or equestrian designation and what standards apply. Keeping animals in violation of the Zoning Ordinance may result in notices of violation, administrative citations, fines, and ultimately a requirement to remove the animals from the property.