Community
Backyard chickens in Corning? You need a permit first, and your property may not qualify
Backyard chickens in Corning require a permit outside agricultural districts, but overlapping rules leave questions about whether smaller residential properties qualify.
LOCAL NEWS, CORNING, CALIFORNIA - Thinking about getting a few hens for fresh eggs in Corning? There is a post online claiming “you cannot own chickens in Corning city limits,” but there is more to it.
Before buying chickens or building a coop, there is a catch: the city requires a permit for outdoor birds outside agricultural districts, and the rules raise questions about whether a typical residential backyard qualifies.
Claims that people cannot have chickens in Corning have some substance. But calling it a citywide ban leaves out the permit options and exceptions written into the code.
For the average homeowner, the first thing to know is that a small flock does not automatically get a pass. Section 6.12.015 requires an outdoor bird permit outside agricultural districts. Chickens fall into a category limited to four birds per species.
Getting permission is where things become less clear.
Section 6.12.020 generally restricts poultry to agricultural districts. Elsewhere, it allows permits for properties with at least five acres available for keeping animals, excluding buildings, or certain properties with qualifying animal use dating back to annexation.
Yet the chapter also provides a separate bird permit. How that option applies to chickens on smaller residential lots needs clarification from Corning. The four-bird limit should not be read as permission for every household to keep four chickens.
There are also rules beyond getting a permit. Birds cannot roam onto someone else’s property. Enclosures must meet cleanliness and placement requirements, and Section 6.12.040 prohibits permits for fowl kept within 30 feet of any residence or occupied structure. Qualifying permits are issued without a fee.
For someone with a small backyard and neighboring homes close by, those requirements are worth sorting out before spending money on a flock.
The practical answer is this: Corning residents outside agricultural districts need permission before keeping backyard chickens, and they should not assume their property qualifies.