Marin County · CA
Can you keep backyard chickens in Woodacre, CA?
Yes, up to 12. Woodacre is unincorporated, so it follows the Marin County animal standards (County Code Chapter 22.32, Table 3-6): up to 12 chickens, more only with a Use Permit, and no roosters. Out here the rules are rarely the hard part. The real work is protecting a flock in the San Geronimo Valley, where the wildlife pressure is as serious as anywhere in Marin.
Woodacre, CA · at a glance
- Hens allowed
- Up to 12; more only with a Use Permit (Marin County Code Ch. 22.32, Table 3-6)
- Roosters
- Not permitted (excluded under the County animal standards)
- Setback
- Set by the Marin County standards; confirm for your parcel
- Permit
- None up to 12 hens; Use Permit required beyond 12
- HOA
- Check your CC&Rs
Confirmed against Woodacre's municipal code. Your personalized report applies it to your exact parcel. Sources: sananselmo-ca.granicus.com · Marin County Code Ch. 22.32 (Standards for Specific Land Uses), Table 3-6
Woodacre sits deep in the wooded San Geronimo Valley, with bigger, more rural lots and genuine wildland on the doorstep. A henhouse here is a small fortress by necessity. We build for the predators first and the views second.
Setbacks and placement
Woodacre is the most predator-exposed place we work, so the build leads with defense: a buried apron, a fully enclosed and covered run, hardware cloth throughout and a hard rule about locking up before dark. We find the sunniest, best-drained spot on what are often shaded, sloping lots, and we plan for cold valley nights. Mountain lions and bobcats both move through the valley, so nothing about the run is left to chance.
Neighbors
Rural lots mean neighbors are rarely a concern in Woodacre, which gives more freedom on placement. The County standards keep roosters out, and the bigger relationship to manage is with the wildlife, not the people next door.
Climate
The San Geronimo Valley runs cooler and shadier than most of Marin, with heavy tree cover, real winter rain and cold air that settles into the valley floor on clear nights, so frost pockets are a genuine thing here. A Woodacre henhouse needs sun where it can get it, dry footing and good cold-weather ventilation.
Predators in Woodacre
The local predators worth planning for are Coyotes, Bobcats, Foxes, Raccoons, Hawks, Mountain lions. Every Modern Hen install is built to handle them: half-inch hardware cloth on every opening, a buried apron, a hardware-cloth ceiling and two-step latches a raccoon can't open.
A quick-start checklist
- Keep up to 12 hens under Marin County's standards; a Use Permit is needed beyond 12
- Treat predator-proofing as the whole game given the valley's wildlife
- Build a buried apron and a fully covered run, and lock up before dark every night
- Find the sunniest, best-drained spot on a shaded, sloping lot
- Plan ventilation for cold, frost-prone valley nights
- Choose a hardy flock and set a strict nightly-closure routine
Want the exact rules for your address?
We'll read your municipal code and send a plain-language report on what's allowed at your parcel. One email, no follow-ups.