Backyard Chickens in Oxnard, California

Can you keep chickens in Oxnard?

Thinking about raising backyard hens in Oxnard? The Gateway to the Channel Islands offers a mild coastal climate that's kind to chickens year-round, and city ordinance permits keeping up to 25 chickens or other poultry on residential and commercial properties without a permit — though mature roosters aren't allowed in residential zones. Here's everything Peggy's Happy Chickens found in Oxnard's actual municipal code.

Yes – with conditions

Yes. Oxnard's municipal code (Chapter 5: Animals and Fowl) allows residents to keep chickens and other poultry as an accessory use on residential and commercial properties. Except for registered homing pigeons, no person shall maintain or permit to be maintained more than 25 in all of rabbits or poultry upon any premises located in a residential or commercial zone of the city (Sec. 5-30(A)). In manufacturing zones, up to 200 rabbits/poultry are allowed, and more requires a special use permit (Sec. 5-30(B)). Roosters, however, are restricted: maintaining any rooster more than four months old within a residential zone is declared a public nuisance under Sec. 5-2(A)(8), meaning mature roosters are effectively prohibited in Oxnard's residential neighborhoods.

Read the ordinance ↗

The rules at a glance

Hens in city limits: Allowed
How many hens: 25
Roosters: No
Permit required: No
Permit cost: Not specified
Setback from property line: Not specified

Peggy knows Oxnard

The rules, straight from the municipal code.

Oxnard's code (Sec. 5-30, 'Rabbits or Poultry') caps the total number of poultry (which the code defines broadly) in residential or commercial zones: no person shall maintain or permit to be maintained more than 25 in all of rabbits or poultry upon any premises located in a residential or commercial zone of the city. A higher cap applies only in manufacturing zones, where up to 200 rabbits/poultry are permitted, with anything beyond that requiring a special use permit. The code's nuisance section separately bans keeping mature roosters in residential areas: maintaining any rooster more than four months old within a residential zone is a declared public nuisance. General nuisance provisions also apply to any poultry-keeping, including bans on keeping animals in a foul, offensive, obnoxious, filthy or unsanitary condition, letting animals run at large, or allowing noise that would deprive persons residing in two or more residences of the comfortable enjoyment of their residences. No specific numeric coop setback distance is stated in the animal-control chapter itself; standard residential accessory-structure setbacks in the zoning code (Sec. 16-23) would apply to coop placement.

Where this comes from

Keeping a flock happy in Oxnard

🌡️ Climate

USDA Hardiness Zone 10a/10b (Mediterranean coastal climate)

Oxnard sits on the coastal Oxnard Plain and enjoys a mild, marine-influenced Mediterranean climate. According to the 2023 USDA Hardiness Zone Map Oxnard, California is in Zones 10a (30°F to 25°F) and 10b (35°F to 30°F). Temperatures stay moderate year-round — the temperature typically varies from 47°F to 74°F and is rarely below 40°F or above 81°F — with frequent morning marine-layer fog and low humidity extremes, making it comfortable for chickens with minimal heat or cold stress management.

🦝 Who's after your hens

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Oxnard's mix of urban neighborhoods, agricultural fields, and nearby riparian/wetland areas (like the Ormond Beach wetlands and Santa Clara River corridor) support populations of raccoons, opossums, skunks, coyotes, and birds of prey such as red-tailed hawks, all of which can target unsecured coops, especially at dusk and dawn. Secure, fully-enclosed runs with hardware cloth (not chicken wire) and locking coop doors are strongly recommended.

🐔 Breeds that do well here

Leghorn, Australorp, Rhode Island Red, Easter Egger, Plymouth Rock

Our package comes with two Rhode Island Reds – hardy in heat and cold, and friendly with kids.

Questions people ask about Oxnard

▸How many chickens can I legally keep in Oxnard?

Up to 25 total rabbits and/or poultry combined on a single residential or commercial property, per Sec. 5-30(A) of the Oxnard Municipal Code.

▸Are roosters allowed in Oxnard?

No. City code declares it a public nuisance to maintain any rooster more than four months old within a residential zone, so mature roosters are effectively prohibited in residential neighborhoods.

▸Do I need a permit to keep backyard chickens in Oxnard?

No permit is required to keep up to 25 poultry/rabbits in a residential or commercial zone. A special use permit is only required in manufacturing zones for flocks exceeding 200 birds.

▸Is there a required setback distance for chicken coops in Oxnard?

The animal-control chapter does not specify a numeric setback distance for poultry enclosures; general residential accessory-structure setback rules in the zoning code would apply to where a coop can be placed on the lot.

▸Can my chickens be a 'nuisance' under Oxnard law?

Yes. Beyond the rooster ban, the code prohibits keeping any animal in a foul or unsanitary condition, letting animals run at large, or allowing noise loud and frequent enough to disturb neighbors' comfortable enjoyment of their homes.

City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Oxnard or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked August 7, 2026.