Larger livestock (horses, cattle, goats, sheep, pigs) is generally restricted to A-2 (General Agriculture) and R-A (Rural Residential) zones in unincorporated Stanislaus County. Livestock buildings must be at least 50 feet from any public street and 40 feet from any adjacent property line under Title 21.
Stanislaus County is a major agricultural producer and Title 21 (Zoning) supports both commercial and small-scale livestock operations. Under the zoning ordinance, agriculture is defined to include the tilling of the soil, the raising of crops, horticulture, viticulture, small livestock farming, dairying, aquaculture, and animal husbandry. The A-2 (General Agriculture) zone permits a broad range of livestock activities including dairy, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and equine operations, subject to setback requirements. The R-A (Rural Residential) zone (Chapter 21.32) permits limited keeping of horses and other large animals subject to minimum lot size and setbacks. Buildings used to house livestock must be at least 50 feet from any public street (measured from edge of pavement) and at least 40 feet from any adjacent property line. The Stanislaus County Right-to-Farm ordinance protects qualifying agricultural operations from nuisance complaints by adjacent non-agricultural neighbors when operations are conducted in conformity with accepted standards. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are additionally regulated by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, and dairies must comply with state Dairy General Order WDR requirements.
Keeping livestock in zones where it is not permitted (such as R-1 single-family residential) is a Title 21 zoning violation enforced by Code Enforcement. Setback or housing violations can be cited under administrative citation procedures in Chapter 2.92. Repeated violations may trigger nuisance abatement orders requiring removal of animals and structures.
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