Chickens allowed in Harrisburg?

Chickens and micro-farming are all the rage right now, and there are a lot of people who are considering having chickens in order to get fresh eggs.  We have some guidelines below, for what you can, and can't do, with your chickens

How many chickens can I have?

The City does allow chickens!  In fact, we allow chickens in our R-1 and R-2 (residential) zones.  You may have up to five chicken hens, (No Roosters allowed!), 12 pigeons, and two of any other kind of poultry.  Chicks under the age of four months shall not count towards the maximum numbers allowed. (4-27:.2.310)

Category: Chickens
My spouse wants me to build a special chicken palace (coop), like the ones at the home shows. Can I do that?

A chicken coop is an accessory structure.  That means that if you have a coop that is over 200 sq ft, you must get a building permit to build it. If you have a coop under 200 sq ft, building permits aren't required. You must have 5' between the coop, and any other structure on your property.  Also, don't build it as a leanto on the side of your home or garage, without checking with us at the City first.  (It counts as an addition to the footprint of your home, which means we have to check setbacks.)  Remember, whereever you put it, you need to be 25' from any of your neighbor's homes.

if you're a 'weekend warrior', and want to go all out to build that palace that looks like it should be in Better Homes & Gardens, just check with us first, to make sure that you're putting it in the right place. 

Category: Chickens
What do I need to do in order to make sure that my neighbors don't mind that I have chickens?

Health & Sanitation are the main things that you need to be aware of.  If you are cleaning up after your chickens on a regular basis, then you won't have many worries.  Here are the things to watch out for, that could be considered a nuisance.  That means that if a neighbor calls us to complain, we'll come check it out.  If something is considered a nuisance, we'll send you a letter, and ask you to fix it. 

  • Noise
  • Accumulation of Manure
  • Presence of flies
  • Presence of rodents
  • Production of Odors
  • Accumulation of surface water without adequate sanitary drainage in or about any shelters.

The bottom line, of course, is that you can't make everyone happy all the time.  Some people don't like the idea of chickens in town, or are ultra sensitive to even the slightest noise.  If we get complaints, we try to be sensitive to what a 'reasonable' person would be worried about. 

Category: Chickens
Where can I keep my chickens?

You have to be careful with where you place your chickens on your property.  There are lots of folks who don't appreciate chickens, and you do have to make sure that they don't become a nuisance.  Poultry must be kept confined to a single lot, and no coops are allowed to be within 25 feet of a dwelling on an adjoining lot.
They can be closer than 25' on your own property, to your house; it's everyone else that you need to be careful of.

Category: Chickens

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