Backyard chickens in Pasadena, California

Yes. Pasadena allows residents to keep backyard hens under Pasadena Municipal Code (PMC) Chapter 6.20, "Fowl and Livestock Restrictions." The City's 2014 ordinance amended PMC § 6.20.030(B) to declare it a nuisance to keep chickens within 35 feet of any dwelling house or other occupied structure (unless that structure is occupied by the chicken owner), and chickens may not be kept within any required zoning setback. The same section flatly prohibits keeping any rooster inside the city limits of Pasadena.

The prior, stricter rule — a 50-foot setback from any street or property line and a 100-foot setback from any dwelling — still applies to other fowl such as geese, ducks, turkeys, pheasants, doves, pigeons and squabs, which were left in PMC § 6.20.030(A) when the chicken-specific rule was carved out in 2014.

Pasadena has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters. Chickens generally do well here, but keepers should provide shade and extra water during summer heat spikes (often 90°F+) and ensure coops are well-ventilated. Winters are mild, so cold-weather protection is rarely a major concern, though occasional cool, damp spells in the nearby foothills call for dry, draft-free housing.

Pasadena backyards, especially those near the Arroyo Seco and the San Gabriel foothills, see regular activity from raccoons, coyotes, red-tailed hawks, opossums, and skunks. Secure, roofed runs with buried hardware cloth and predator-proof latches are strongly recommended given the City's own enclosure and shelter requirements under PMC § 6.20.031.