By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The chickens can come home to roost, now that Township Council has approved an ordinance that allows homeowners to raise chickens in their back yards.
The ordinance, which acknowledges the trend toward keeping chickens in the back yard, establishes an opportunity for people to get a permit to house them on their property, Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun said.
The ordinance sets minimum lot sizes, chicken coop sizes and side yard and rear yard setbacks. Roosters, however, are banned.
The number of chickens that can be kept in the back yard depends on the size of the lot.
The minimum lot size is 5,000 square feet, and it allows the property owner to raise one or two chickens. To raise three chickens, the minimum lot size is 10,000 square feet.
Larger lots can accommodate more chickens – four chickens on a 15,000-square-foot lot, and five chickens on a 30,000-square-foot lot. The maximum is six chickens, and the lot must be at least 40,000 square feet.
Homeowners who are contemplating raising chickens must get a permit from the township zoning officer. If the house is a rental property, the tenant must obtain permission from the landlord.
Chickens must have access to a chicken coop, which has to be fully enclosed and kept clean. A chicken run is permitted, and must be at least 100 square feet but not more than 400 square feet.
The chicken coop must be set back at least 10 feet from the property line or house, and 30 feet from a house on an adjacent lot.
The township had allowed for chickens to be raised, but it was geared more toward farmers who are engaged in agriculture. The minimum lot size was five acres.
