Backyard chickens in Palmdale, California
Everything you need to know before you start a backyard flock in Palmdale – the rules, the climate and the neighbors with teeth.
Can you keep chickens in Palmdale?
Raising hens in Palmdale's high desert climate is entirely legal under the city's Animal Keeping ordinance, as long as you have enough land — the code requires a minimum 20,000 sq ft lot and caps flocks at roughly 3 birds per 10,000 sq ft, with roosters off the table for every resident.
Yes – with conditions
Yes, Palmdale allows backyard poultry as an accessory residential use. Under Palmdale Municipal Code Chapter 17.89 (Animal Keeping), "Poultry and fowl, excluding roosters and peafowl" may be kept on a lot or parcel of land not having less than 20,000 square feet, provided the birds are kept for the private use of members of the family residing on the premises (§ 17.89.030(A)(5)). The Chapter's allowance table caps the number at 3 birds for every 10,000 square feet of lot area (Table 17.89.030-1), meaning a qualifying 20,000 sq ft lot may keep up to 6 hens, with the total scaling up on larger parcels. Roosters and peafowl are explicitly excluded from the poultry allowance city-wide.
The rules at a glance
- Hens in city limits
- Allowed
- How many hens
- 6
- Roosters
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Setback from property line
- 50 ft.
Peggy knows Palmdale
The rules, straight from the municipal code.
Palmdale's animal-keeping standards set specific placement rules for coops and enclosures (§ 17.89.030(C)): animal enclosures — including coops, aviaries, barns, doghouses, and hutches — may not be located in a required front yard setback and must be at least 50 feet from any residential structure, in addition to being at least 20 feet from any side or rear lot line.
The base poultry allowance is 3 birds for every 10,000 sq ft of lot area, and poultry/fowl (excluding roosters and peafowl) may only be kept on lots of at least 20,000 sq ft, so a minimum-qualifying lot yields 6 birds, scaling up proportionally on larger lots. Anyone wishing to keep more animals than the table allows must apply for an Additional Animals Clearance under PMC § 17.26.070. Keeping of exotic animals (as separately defined in PMC Chapter 17.16) is prohibited.
Where this comes from
Keeping a flock happy in Palmdale
🌡️ Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone 8b–9a (Mojave High Desert / Antelope Valley)
Palmdale sits in the Antelope Valley portion of California's Mojave High Desert, which is windier and runs cooler in both winter and summer than the state's low-desert regions, with hot, dry summers and cold, occasionally frosty winter nights. Coop design should prioritize shade and ventilation for summer heat spikes (often 95–105°F) while still offering a draft-free, insulated shelter for winter nights that can dip into the teens to low 20s°F.
🦝 Who's after your hens
Coyotes and foxes are considered real threats to pets and poultry in Palmdale, and raptors such as red-tailed hawks can target small, unprotected livestock like backyard poultry, especially if birds are left unattended in open areas. A fully covered, predator-proof run plus a secure, latched coop is essential given the mix of ground predators (coyote, fox, bobcat, skunk, snake) and aerial predators (hawks) common to the high desert.
🐔 Breeds that do well here
Australorp, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Leghorn, Easter Egger, Wyandotte — heat-tolerant, cold-hardy dual-purpose breeds that handle the Antelope Valley's wide temperature swings well.
Our package comes with two Rhode Island Reds – hardy in heat and cold, and friendly with kids.
Questions people ask about Palmdale
▸How many chickens can I legally keep in Palmdale?
Palmdale's code allows a maximum of 3 poultry/fowl for every 10,000 square feet of lot area, and poultry keeping itself requires a lot of at least 20,000 square feet — so the minimum qualifying property can keep about 6 birds, scaling upward on larger lots (§ 17.89.030, Table 17.89.030-1).
▸Are roosters allowed in Palmdale?
No. The ordinance specifically excludes roosters (and peafowl) from the allowed poultry keeping provisions city-wide (§ 17.89.030(A)(5)).
▸Do I need a permit to keep chickens in Palmdale?
The base ordinance does not require a separate permit for poultry kept within the allowed numbers. However, if you want to keep more animals than the code table allows, you must apply for an Additional Animals Clearance under PMC § 17.26.070.
▸How far must a chicken coop be from my house or the property line?
Animal enclosures such as coops may not sit in a front yard setback, must be at least 50 feet from any residential structure, and at least 20 feet from any side or rear lot line (§ 17.89.030(C)(2)).
▸Is there a minimum lot size to keep chickens in Palmdale?
Yes. Poultry and fowl (excluding roosters and peafowl) may only be kept on a lot or parcel with an area of not less than 20,000 square feet (§ 17.89.030(A)(5)).
City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with Palmdale or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked August 3, 2026.
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Everything arrives at your door – the coop, two Rhode Island Red hens, and all the gear in between.
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