Sorry this will be long but I thought it might help anyone who is trying to get chickens legalized in their own town. This is the ordinance being put through in my town. It applies to be people with less than 10 acres.
TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HUNTINGDON
COUNTY OF WESTMORELAND
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
ORDINANCE NO. _____
BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HUNTINGDON, RELATING TO THE RAISING OF CHICKENS AND ESTABLISHING RULES AND REGULATIONS RELATIVE TO SAME.
WHEREAS, the Township of North Huntingdon wishes to respond to residents of the Township who wish to raise a small number of chickens; and,
WHEREAS, a reasonable and limited number of chickens on a given property will have a low impact on the community; and,
WHEREAS, such allowances will encourage the growth of the urban agriculture movement within the Township; and,
WHEREAS, the raising of a small number of chickens offers a host of personal benefits; and,
NOW, THEREFORE, THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HUNTINGDON HEREBY ORDAINS, IN A MEETING DULY CONVENED, THE FOLLOWING:
ARTICLE I – Domestic Chickens
Section 1 – Use Type
. Domestic Chickens shall be considered a permitted accessory use for single family homes in all zoning districts.
Section 2 – Supplemental Regulations:
. Chickens may be kept in single family homes with a minimum lot area of 7,500 square feet.
. For parcels with a lot area of 7,500 square feet, residents may keep up to four hens.
. An additional two hens may be kept for each additional 2,500 square feet increase in lot size up to ten acres, but in no case more than eight hens.
. Only chicken hens may be kept on lots that are less than 10 acres in size.
. Hens shall be kept for personal use only. The selling of eggs, fertilizer or breeding of hens is prohibited.
. All hens shall be kept in a hen house or run. Henhouses and runs shall be fenced and maintained in accordance with the standards set forth in this section.
. Chicken coops shall be considered Accessory Structures and are limited to one per zoning lot.
. Slaughtering or butchering of chickens for personal consumption or religious practices shall be permitted, provided that it is done wholly on the property where the chicken hens are kept. Slaughtering or butchering shall be conducted only in an indoor location and any waste created from slaughtering or butchering shall be disposed of in a proper or sanitary manner.
Section 3: Location Regulations:
. The henhouse and run shall be located in the rear yard only.
. The henhouse and run shall be a minimum of five feet from any property line.
. The henhouse and run shall be a minimum of twenty-five feet from any residential dwelling structure.
Section 4 – Design Requirements
. The henhouse and / or pen shall be properly designed and constructed to provide adequate security from rodents, wild birds and predators. Sufficient ventilation and suitable shelter for hens must be provided. The hen house shall provide a minimum of 2 square feet per chicken, or 1 square foot per pound of bird, and be of sufficient size to permit free movement of the hens. The hen house may not be taller than six (6) feet and must be easily accessible for cleaning and maintenance. Any windows must be screened with chicken wire to protect the hens from predators.
. Hen houses shall be constructed either on concrete slabs or at least two feet of the ground to discourage rodents, vermin or other predators.
. A Zoning Certificate is required in order to construct a hen house. The fee for this certificate shall be set by resolution of the Board of Commissioners.
. The run shall be fully enclosed, including a roof, by a secured fence at all times. The fence must be at least five feet in height and no more than six feet six inches in height. The fence shall be buried at least 2 feet in the ground. The buried portion of the fence shall be bent outward at least two feet and covered with soil or pavers.
. All feed, water and other items associated with the keeping of chicken hens shall be stored and dispensed in a way that prevents infestation by rats, mice or other rodents or vectors. Failure to keep all feed, water and other items associated with the keeping of chicken hens in a clean and sanitary condition constitutes a violation of this ordinance.
Section 5 – Sanitation Requirements
. All henhouses and runs shall be kept maintained in clean and sanitary condition so as to prevent any odor detectable at a property line. Henhouses and runs shall be cleaned on a regular basis.
. Chicken feces on private property shall not be allowed to accumulate to the degree that it becomes a public health nuisance or hazard.
. It shall be unlawful for any person to spread or cause to be spread or deposited upon any ground or premises within North Huntingdon Township any chicken manure. However, chicken manure may be composted on the property where the chickens are housed and the composted material then applied to gardens or yards.
Section 6 – Compliance
. The Township zoning officer may inspect hen houses and runs at reasonable times to determine compliance.
Section 7 – Violations and Penalties:
. Any person who shall be convicted of violating the provisions of this article shall be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding $1,000 and the costs of prosecution for each and every violation and, in default of payment thereof, to undergo imprisonment not exceeding thirty (30) days. Each day’s continuance of a violation of any provision of this article shall constitute a separate violation.
. In addition to fines and imprisonment, any person, firm who does not maintain a clean and safe environment, or whose hens become a nuisance to their neighbors may be subject to having their hens seized by the Township.
ORDAINED BY THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HUNTINGDON ON THIS ____ DAY OF JULY, 2013.
TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HUNTINGDON
COUNTY OF WESTMORELAND
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
ORDINANCE NO. _____
BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HUNTINGDON, RELATING TO THE RAISING OF CHICKENS AND ESTABLISHING RULES AND REGULATIONS RELATIVE TO SAME.
WHEREAS, the Township of North Huntingdon wishes to respond to residents of the Township who wish to raise a small number of chickens; and,
WHEREAS, a reasonable and limited number of chickens on a given property will have a low impact on the community; and,
WHEREAS, such allowances will encourage the growth of the urban agriculture movement within the Township; and,
WHEREAS, the raising of a small number of chickens offers a host of personal benefits; and,
NOW, THEREFORE, THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HUNTINGDON HEREBY ORDAINS, IN A MEETING DULY CONVENED, THE FOLLOWING:
ARTICLE I – Domestic Chickens
Section 1 – Use Type
. Domestic Chickens shall be considered a permitted accessory use for single family homes in all zoning districts.
Section 2 – Supplemental Regulations:
. Chickens may be kept in single family homes with a minimum lot area of 7,500 square feet.
. For parcels with a lot area of 7,500 square feet, residents may keep up to four hens.
. An additional two hens may be kept for each additional 2,500 square feet increase in lot size up to ten acres, but in no case more than eight hens.
. Only chicken hens may be kept on lots that are less than 10 acres in size.
. Hens shall be kept for personal use only. The selling of eggs, fertilizer or breeding of hens is prohibited.
. All hens shall be kept in a hen house or run. Henhouses and runs shall be fenced and maintained in accordance with the standards set forth in this section.
. Chicken coops shall be considered Accessory Structures and are limited to one per zoning lot.
. Slaughtering or butchering of chickens for personal consumption or religious practices shall be permitted, provided that it is done wholly on the property where the chicken hens are kept. Slaughtering or butchering shall be conducted only in an indoor location and any waste created from slaughtering or butchering shall be disposed of in a proper or sanitary manner.
Section 3: Location Regulations:
. The henhouse and run shall be located in the rear yard only.
. The henhouse and run shall be a minimum of five feet from any property line.
. The henhouse and run shall be a minimum of twenty-five feet from any residential dwelling structure.
Section 4 – Design Requirements
. The henhouse and / or pen shall be properly designed and constructed to provide adequate security from rodents, wild birds and predators. Sufficient ventilation and suitable shelter for hens must be provided. The hen house shall provide a minimum of 2 square feet per chicken, or 1 square foot per pound of bird, and be of sufficient size to permit free movement of the hens. The hen house may not be taller than six (6) feet and must be easily accessible for cleaning and maintenance. Any windows must be screened with chicken wire to protect the hens from predators.
. Hen houses shall be constructed either on concrete slabs or at least two feet of the ground to discourage rodents, vermin or other predators.
. A Zoning Certificate is required in order to construct a hen house. The fee for this certificate shall be set by resolution of the Board of Commissioners.
. The run shall be fully enclosed, including a roof, by a secured fence at all times. The fence must be at least five feet in height and no more than six feet six inches in height. The fence shall be buried at least 2 feet in the ground. The buried portion of the fence shall be bent outward at least two feet and covered with soil or pavers.
. All feed, water and other items associated with the keeping of chicken hens shall be stored and dispensed in a way that prevents infestation by rats, mice or other rodents or vectors. Failure to keep all feed, water and other items associated with the keeping of chicken hens in a clean and sanitary condition constitutes a violation of this ordinance.
Section 5 – Sanitation Requirements
. All henhouses and runs shall be kept maintained in clean and sanitary condition so as to prevent any odor detectable at a property line. Henhouses and runs shall be cleaned on a regular basis.
. Chicken feces on private property shall not be allowed to accumulate to the degree that it becomes a public health nuisance or hazard.
. It shall be unlawful for any person to spread or cause to be spread or deposited upon any ground or premises within North Huntingdon Township any chicken manure. However, chicken manure may be composted on the property where the chickens are housed and the composted material then applied to gardens or yards.
Section 6 – Compliance
. The Township zoning officer may inspect hen houses and runs at reasonable times to determine compliance.
Section 7 – Violations and Penalties:
. Any person who shall be convicted of violating the provisions of this article shall be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding $1,000 and the costs of prosecution for each and every violation and, in default of payment thereof, to undergo imprisonment not exceeding thirty (30) days. Each day’s continuance of a violation of any provision of this article shall constitute a separate violation.
. In addition to fines and imprisonment, any person, firm who does not maintain a clean and safe environment, or whose hens become a nuisance to their neighbors may be subject to having their hens seized by the Township.
ORDAINED BY THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HUNTINGDON ON THIS ____ DAY OF JULY, 2013.
