Bethlehem, PA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 1159.07 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem prohibits any person from keeping or maintaining cattle, sheep, swine, goats, llamas, alpacas, horses or fowl within the city, with two narrow carve-outs: properties already approved for farming before the ordinance amendment that continue to meet the City of Bethlehem Zoning Ordinance's farming requirements, and sites approved by the Bureau of Health for slaughtering or laboratory purposes. Section 1159.02(J) defines fowl broadly as any bird typically used for food or eggs, expressly naming chickens, roosters, pigeons, turkeys, geese, ducks and peacocks, so a homeowner cannot keep even a small backyard flock of hens without qualifying under the grandfathered-farm exception.

The ban sits inside Article 1159, Animals, whose council findings in Section 1159.01(C) cite accumulations of animal waste, disease spread, insect infestation, smell and noise from multi-animal keeping as the public nuisance the article targets. Enforcement runs through the Animal Control Officer appointed by the Mayor and Bureau of Health staff, who may inspect premises under Section 1159.05(E) and, if entry is refused, apply for a search warrant. A property owner who believes their land was approved for farming before the amendment bears the burden of documenting that status; the ordinance does not create a new permit path for fowl or livestock the way Section 1159.04 does for exceeding six household animals.