A permit shall not allow the permittee to engage in chicken
breeding, sales or fertilizer production for commercial purposes.
A.
Chickens must be kept in a secure enclosure or fenced area at all
times. Chickens shall be secured within a henhouse during non-daylight
hours. A henhouse may be attached to a chicken tractor, provided it
meets all design and construction standards.
B.
Enclosures must be kept in a clean, dry, odor-free, neat and sanitary
condition at all times.
C.
Henhouses, chicken tractors must provide adequate ventilation and
adequate sun and shade and must be impermeable to rodents, wild birds
and predators, including dogs and cats.
D.
Henhouses and chicken tractors design and construction.
(1)
Henhouses shall be designed to provide safe and healthy living conditions
for the chickens with a minimum of four square feet per bird while
minimizing adverse impacts to other residents in the neighborhood.
(2)
A henhouse or chicken tractor shall be enclosed on all sides and
shall have a roof and doors. Access doors must be able to be shut
and locked at night. Opening windows and vents must be covered with
predator and bird proof wire of less than one inch openings.
(3)
The materials used in making a henhouse or chicken tractor shall
be uniform for each element of the structure such that the walls are
made of the same material, the roof has the same shingles or other
covering, and any windows or openings are constructed using the same
materials. The use of scrap, waste board, sheet metal, or similar
materials is prohibited. Henhouses and chicken tractors shall be well
maintained.
(4)
Henhouses, chicken tractors and chicken pens shall only be located
to the rear of a dwelling.
(5)
Henhouses, chicken tractors and chicken pens must be located at least
10 feet from the property line and at least 25 feet from any adjacent
building in separate ownership from the permittee.
(6)
Any enclosed henhouse shall consist of sturdy wire fencing. The pen
must be covered with wire, aviary netting, poultry netting or solid
roofing. The wire must have openings of 1/2 inch or less.
Odors from chickens, chicken manure or other chicken related
substances shall not be perceptible beyond the boundaries of the permitted
tract of land. Noise from chickens shall not be loud enough beyond
the boundaries of the permitted tract of land at the property boundaries
to disturb persons of reasonable sensitivity.
The permittee shall take necessary action to reduce the attraction
of predators and rodents and the potential infestation of insects
or parasites. Chickens found to be infested with insects or parasites
that may result in unhealthy conditions to human habitation shall
result in revocation of a permit.
Chickens shall be provided with access to feed and clean water
at all times. The feed and water shall be unavailable to rodents,
wild birds and predators.
All stored manure shall be covered by a fully enclosed structure
with a roof or lid over the entire structure, or garbage cans with
tight fitting lids. No more than three cubic feet of manure shall
be stored on the permitted tract of land. All other manure not used
for composting or fertilizing shall be removed from the site or incorporated
into a garden area. The henhouse, chicken tractor, chicken pen and
surrounding area must be kept free from trash and accumulated droppings.
Uneaten feed shall be removed in a timely manner.
A.
No owner shall allow chickens to roam off the permitted tract of
land.
B.
No dog or cat or other domesticated animal which kills a chicken
off the permitted tract of land will, for that reason alone, be considered
a dangerous or aggressive animal or the Borough's responsibility
to enforce any animal control provisions.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep chickens in violation
of any provision of this chapter.
B.
It shall be unlawful for any owner of rental property, renter or
leaseholder of property to allow chickens to be kept on any property,
except where the owner of the chickens is also the resident and owner
of the property upon which the chickens are kept.
C.
No person shall slaughter any chickens within Borough limits except as said activity may be provided for under industrial uses and districts within the Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 200].
D.
No person shall keep a rooster.
E.
No person shall keep chickens on a vacant or uninhabited tract of
land.
F.
No chickens shall be kept within Borough limits except as provided
under this chapter, unless for purposes of education or exhibition
at a public school, college or, fair, or chickens kept temporarily
for sale as an accessory to an agricultural retail business.
A.
Any violation of the terms of this chapter that constitutes a health
hazard or that interferes with the use or enjoyment of neighboring
property is a nuisance and may be abated under the general nuisance
abatement provisions of the Pennsylvania Borough Code and all applicable
Borough nuisance or zoning ordinances, with fines and penalties consistent
with said ordinances.
B.
This chapter shall be in full force and effect from and after its
passage and publication as provided by law.
C.
Repealer. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with
any provision of this chapter are hereby repealed.
