Whether you can keep chickens depends on your municipality, not the county. In Allentown it is unlawful to keep cattle, swine, sheep, goats, or fowl within the city. Rural Lehigh County townships generally allow poultry and livestock on adequately sized lots.
Pennsylvania counties do not zone, so poultry and livestock rules come from each borough, township, or city under the Municipalities Planning Code. Allentown's Codified Ordinances flatly prohibit keeping cattle, swine, sheep, goats, or fowl inside the city except at slaughtering or laboratory sites, with an exception for the Allentown Fair. In contrast, agricultural townships across Lehigh County typically permit backyard chickens and livestock subject to acreage minimums and setback distances in their own zoning codes. Farms in designated Agricultural Security Areas also gain nuisance protection under Pennsylvania's Right to Farm Act.
Keeping prohibited fowl or livestock in Allentown is a code violation carrying fines up to $1,000 per offense and abatement orders; each day may be a separate violation.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Lehigh County's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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