ON THAT 35 YEAR SENTENCE. SACRAMENTO COUNTY WILL REGULATE HOW MANY ROOSTERS YOU CAN HAVE IN UNINCORPORATED PARTS OF THE COUNTY. RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO LIMIT FOR LOTS OF 10,000FT OR MORE. THAT IS, UNLESS YOU LIVE IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS. TODAY, SUPERVISORS INTRODUCED A NEW ORDINANCE TO LIMIT OWNERS TO JUST ONE ROOSTER PER 14,500FT, AND PEOPLE LIVING IN NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD BE LIMITED TO TWO ROOSTERS TOTAL. SUPPORTERS OF THE NEW ORDINANCE SPOKE DURING TODAY’S BOARD MEETING. AMONG THEM TWO NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE NEXT TO A PROPERTY THAT HOUSES HUNDREDS OF ROOSTERS. WE CAN’T MOVE. WE CAN’T SELL OUR HOME FOR FAIR MARKET VALUE BECAUSE WHO WOULD BUY IT? THE CROWING STARTS ABOUT 3 A.M. AND WE WERE WAKING UP. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE PURIFIERS, FANS GOING, THE SOUND PERMEATES THE WALLS. AND SO BY THREE, 4:00 WE JUST GET UP. YOU KNOW, WE CAN’T SLEEP. AS FOR OVER THE TWO AND A HALF YEARS WE’VE BEEN PUTTING UP WITH THIS UNBELIEVABLE SCREAMING OF HUNDREDS OF ROOSTERS IN OUR BACKYARD, WE CAN’T SLEEP AND OPEN THE DOORS AND WINDOWS AND USE OUR PATIOS.
Sacramento County supervisors propose rooster limits in unincorporated areas
Updated: 11:00 PM PDT Jun 9, 2026
Sacramento County supervisors introduced a new ordinance Tuesday to regulate the number of roosters allowed on properties in unincorporated parts of the county. Currently, there is no limit for lots of 10,000 square feet or more, unless the property is in certain residential districts. The proposed ordinance would limit owners to one rooster per 14,500 square feet, while residents in neighborhoods would be restricted to two roosters total. Supporters of the ordinance spoke during the board meeting, including two neighbors who live next to a property housing hundreds of roosters. “We can’t move, who would buy it?” Nancy Dewey said. “The crowing starts at 3 a.m., we can’t sleep.” Another neighbor named Bob Schmidt said, “As for over the two and a half years we’ve been putting up with this unbelievable screaming of hundreds of roosters in our backyard. We can’t sleep, and open the doors and windows, and use our patios.” The board is expected to make its final vote on the ordinance next week. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. —
Sacramento County supervisors introduced a new ordinance Tuesday to regulate the number of roosters allowed on properties in unincorporated parts of the county.
Currently, there is no limit for lots of 10,000 square feet or more, unless the property is in certain residential districts. The proposed ordinance would limit owners to one rooster per 14,500 square feet, while residents in neighborhoods would be restricted to two roosters total.
Supporters of the ordinance spoke during the board meeting, including two neighbors who live next to a property housing hundreds of roosters.
“We can’t move, who would buy it?” Nancy Dewey said. “The crowing starts at 3 a.m., we can’t sleep.”
Another neighbor named Bob Schmidt said, “As for over the two and a half years we’ve been putting up with this unbelievable screaming of hundreds of roosters in our backyard. We can’t sleep, and open the doors and windows, and use our patios.”
The board is expected to make its final vote on the ordinance next week.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel