Rio Linda, CA—The sound of a rooster’s crow is a staple of rural and semi-rural life, but Sacramento County is finalizing a major legal update aimed at keeping crowing fowl from becoming a neighborhood headache. The County has scheduled an important Public Workshop next Monday, November 10, 2025, at 5:30 PM, to present the latest version of its proposed Zoning Code amendments concerning the “Incidental Keeping of Animals,” specifically roosters.
This effort is designed to strike a better balance between the rights of legitimate agricultural hobbyists and breeders and the growing concerns over noise, sanitation, and illegal activity like cockfighting in residential areas.
What’s Changing for Rooster Keepers?
If you own roosters in unincorporated Sacramento County, these updates are significant. After two previous rounds of community feedback, the County has refined its proposal, introducing changes that should streamline the process for responsible owners while tightening enforcement on problem properties.
Here are the key takeaways from the refined proposal:
- Goodbye Permits, Hello Registration: The previous system that required a cumbersome minor use permit for keeping roosters beyond the standard limit is being eliminated. Instead, breeders, hobbyists, and other legitimate rooster keepers will be able to exceed standard limits through a simpler registration process with the Agricultural Commissioner.
- New Standards: The amendments include revisions to the allowed number of roosters, clarification of noise standards for residential areas, and new development standards that will allow for a wider range of chicken coop sizes.
- Education Exemptions: The new rules will officially eliminate permit requirements for youth involved in educational programs like 4H and FFA, recognizing the value of these activities.
Important Note: These regulations are focused specifically on roosters and do not affect commercial poultry farms or the keeping of other common crowing fowl like ducks, geese, guinea fowl, or peacocks.
Attend the Final Workshop
This public workshop is the last scheduled community feedback session before staff finalize the official ordinances. If you have input on how these rules will affect your property or community, now is the time to speak up.
| Event | Date & Time | Learn More |
| Public Workshop on Crowing Fowl | Monday, November 10, 2025, at 5:30 PM | View County Project Page |
Following this final workshop, staff will use any additional community feedback to prep the ordinances for the County Planning Commission and, ultimately, for final action by the Board of Supervisors in early 2026.
November 10th Crowing Fowl Workshop Details
The upcoming meeting is designated for “Additional Public Outreach” on the latest, refined amendment to the Crowing Fowl Ordinance. Since an in-person location is not clearly listed on the main project page like previous CPAC meetings were, it is likely being held virtually or the specific location has not yet been publicly circulated in a simple news brief.
To ensure you can attend or watch the meeting on time:
- Date: Monday, November 10, 2025
- Time: 5:30 PM (PST)
- Access: 700 H Street, Suite 1450, Sacramento, CA 95814
Official County Project Page
This page is the central hub for all documents, drafts, and meeting access links:
Summary of Previous (Current) Rooster Rules
You asked for a summary of the previous rules, which are the current regulations being amended. Knowing what they are replacing helps understand the impact of the new changes (like why eliminating the permit process is a big deal).
| Restriction | Current (Pre-Amendment) Rule |
| Minimum Lot Size | Roosters or other crowing fowl are generally allowed only on lots greater than 10,000 square feet. |
| Keeping Roosters | The keeping of roosters is considered an “Incidental Agricultural Use.” |
| Residential Zones | For many residential zones (RD-4 through RD-7), the keeping of roosters was allowed only with a Minor Use Permit or Temporary Use Permit and was extremely limited (sometimes capped at just two roosters). |
| Permit Requirement | Non-commercial keepers seeking to exceed general limits were typically required to apply for a Minor Use Permit, a costly and time-consuming discretionary process. |
The new rules aim to replace that expensive, discretionary permit with a simpler registration system for legitimate keepers and clarify rules on number limits and noise.
Editor’s Note: Rio Linda-Elverta Was Excluded From Initial Rooster Workshops
For the record: While Sacramento County held several community and advisory meetings on the proposed Crowing Fowl Ordinance, no specific CPAC (Community Planning Advisory Council) or other workshop was ever scheduled for the Rio Linda-Elverta area.
While Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez touched on the issue at her October 8th Community Meeting, there was no workshop for the Rio Linda Elverta community. For reference, the official public events held to date were:
- Carmichael CPAC Meeting: September 10, 2025
- Countywide Crowing Fowl Workshop (Planning Commission): September 9, 2025
- Cosumnes CPAC Meeting: August 27, 2025
- North Highlands CPAC Meeting: August 26, 2025
- Agricultural Education Stakeholder Meeting: March 4, 2025
- Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC): December 11, 2024
