Question about Pennsylvania's state wide chicken laws - do they exist?

[greenleaf]

We're moving PA and I'm going to have to rehome my small flock of 3 hens, because they require you have at least 10 acres to have chickens (we're not even talking about roosters!)
What is up with PA?!!!

It depends upon the county. In Susquehanna Co. no such rules exist.

 

[greenleaf]

​

There are no "state" rules. This is done by county and township.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

​

There are no "state" rules. This is done by county and township.

More accurately, PA's State Rules are generally and largely inapplicable to backyard owners, whose possession, gender, quantity, housing, and location is more often controlled by either their HoA, their Municipality, and/or their County.

State laws typically only come into play during periods of avian quarantine, transport into/out of the state, and similar.

 

[Zapper]

Hello. I'm wondering if anyone knows if Pennsylvania has any state wide laws regarding the keeping of chickens? Or if our Right to Farm Act actually covers chickens at all. As far as I can tell, it only seems to apply to properties of over 10 acres.

I live in Lancaster County, in West Donegal Township. My family owns property that covers 7 1/2 acres, and has since 1996. We kept 2 dozen chickens in the late 90s, early 00s, and let them completely free range during the day and never had any problems. This spring I got chicks. Now I keep running into problems.

Our coop has been in place since 2000. This summer we built a secure, covered run attached to it, because we have many predators. Someone in our neighborhood noticed this, complained to the township, and we got a letter notifying us that they hoped we were not planning on keeping chickens or other animals in there, because it was too close to the property line. Apparently at some point since 2000 they have changed the ordinance, and it now must be 50 feet away from the property line. We went to the neighbors whose property it edges on, and they actually have no problem with it, they were not the people who complained. The township is completely uninterested in the fact that the only people it actually effects are not bothered, OR the fact that it was in place and being used before the ordinance went into place. My mom tried to talk to a lawyer, but basically was told that trying to fight this would cost $600 to apply for a variance (that they might not agree to) and constant fighting at town meetings, where the township officials seems very hostile to the keeping of chickens. It would cost a lot in lawyer fees as well.

Additionally, there is NO ordinance against roosters. Because we were no longer permitted to keep them in their coop, my chickens were living on a screened in porch which did not muffle the sound of crowing at all. This only happened for a few mornings before I started keeping the 2 roosters in a small coop in our garage. My neighbors still complained, without talking to us first, and the township informed us that even though roosters are legal, and they were aware that the only reason the neighbors could hear them was because they were on the porch rather than in their coop, which was the township's fault to begin with, we had to rehome them. Those roosters were my sweetest chickens to be honest, and it was pretty devastating.

At this point I don't believe fighting them on either of these issues is possible, but I'm wondering about general state laws. I am listing my township's ordinances below. It seems like, according to those, I am only permitted up to 12 "small domestic animals" which need to be penned, including chickens, turkeys, and ducks. Once I rehome the two very young roosters that are still here I will only have 8 hens, but I am worried that they will count the unpenned ducks that live at my pond towards this number, or try to fine me for having 4 unpenned ducks (on my half acre pond!) My chicken coop/run are sized so that by the most generous estimations I could have 17 chickens in them, and I would really like to get more chicks next year. The area where the large-enough coop/run will be is hundreds of feet from any neighbors, and since I have 7 1/2 acres and live in a rural area in Lancaster County, I really do not understand why this is not allowed. Weirdly, the ordinances seem to allow for 1 1/2 "large domestic animals" per acreage, which means that I could have 10 of these "large domestic animals" which I assume would be sheep or alpacas or such. Certainly that would be more disruptive than 13 chickens? I do not understand why the large domestic animal allowance goes up per acre, but seemingly the small does not.

Anyway, I would appreciate any insight that anyone has on this issue. ~ Meagan

West Donegal Township ordinances:
B. It is permitted to maintain small domestic animals up to a total of 12, provided the following conditions are met:
(1) Maintaining small domestic animals shall be within the rear yard area.
(2) Maintaining small domestic animals shall be on a noncommercial basis and be strictly as an incidental use.
(3) The area within which small domestic animals are kept shall be enclosed by a fence designed for containment.
(4) Such fence shall be at least 50 feet from any lot line and not closer than 100 feet to the nearest dwelling other than that of the owner.
(5) The area within which small domestic animals are maintained shall be kept in a suitable grass cover and shall not be allowed to degrade to an erodible condition.
(6) The owner of the small domestic animals shall exercise suitable control over the animals and shall not allow a nuisance condition to be created in terms of excessive noise, dirt, or odor.
(7) For the purposes of this subsection, small domestic animals shall include animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchilla, and fowl such as chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, and pigeons, but shall not include wild or exotic animals held in captivity.
C. The ownership of large domestic animals shall not exceed 1 1/2 animal units per acre, provided the following conditions are met:
(1) Maintaining large domestic animals shall be within the rear yard area.
(2) Maintaining large domestic animals shall be on a noncommercial basis and be strictly as an incidental use.
(3) The area within which large domestic animals are kept shall be enclosed by a fence designed for containment.
(4) No building, corral, fence, or stable shall be closer than 100 feet to the nearest dwelling other than that of the owner.
(5) The area within which large domestic animals are maintained shall be kept in a suitable grass cover of at least two acres in area and shall not be allowed to degrade to an erodible condition.
(6) The owner of the large domestic animals shall exercise suitable control over the animals and shall not allow a nuisance condition to be created in terms of excessive noise, dirt, or odor.
(7) For the purposes of this subsection, large domestic animals shall include animals of the bovine, equine, porcine (swine), and sheep families, but shall not include wild or exotic animals held in captivity.

What did you ever figure out? Large pets eh, well you could always get Brahama Chickens.