The Napa County Board of Supervisors this week approved an ordinance that will ban the keeping of roosters on many properties around the county.
No roosters will be allowed on any parcels in unincorporated Napa County that are under a half-acre, while one rooster is allowed for parcels between a half-acre and 1.5 acres, and four roosters are allowed on properties larger than 1.5 acres, according to the ordinance passed initially by the board unanimously last week and then a final time on Tuesday.
The ordinance states that the rooster restrictions are meant “to eliminate the potential for public nuisance, illegal cockfighting and the raising of birds to be used for cockfighting, and for the protection of the health and safety of the residents of Napa County.”
A rooster is defined by the county as any male chicken that is six months or older, has full adult plumage, and is capable of the loud crowing sounds that roosters are known for making.
Following American Canyon’s lead
The county initially adopted rooster regulations for unincorporated areas in 2013 but with much higher numbers allowed — a maximum of 25 roosters per acre or 100 per parcel. County staff said the high number of roosters allowed under the current regulations made it harder to address issues related to the birds, like cockfighting.
The change to the smaller numbers aligns with a rooster ordinance in effect in American Canyon, one of the cities in Napa County, according to a presentation given to the board at its Dec. 9 meeting.
There are a number of exemptions in the ordinance, such as for anyone who raises roosters for food production if they are subject to local, state or federal inspection laws.
The ordinance will go into effect Feb. 1, 2026. Supervisor Liz Alessio at the Dec. 9 meeting asked if that date could be pushed back to give residents more time to prepare for the change, but the other supervisors decided to keep it.
“We have taken into account all the exemptions for people doing bona fide work, it just doesn’t seem necessary,” Supervisor Joelle Gallagher said.