Franklin Township, PA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Added by Ordinance 2016-01, § 27-1719 sets 14 numbered standards for keeping chickens as outdoor pets in Franklin Township. The minimum lot size to keep or raise chickens is 30,000 square feet; below that threshold, no chickens are permitted regardless of district. On a qualifying lot up to two acres, an owner may keep a maximum of 10 chickens, and the allowance grows by five birds for every additional acre of land, though the ordinance caps the total at 50 chickens on any property no matter how large.

Renters need the record owner's written permission before keeping chickens. Coops and runs that exceed 200 square feet require a zoning permit from the Zoning Officer, and every coop, whether permitted or not, along with any manure storage area, must meet the setbacks that apply to accessory structures in the underlying zoning district. Manure must be removed or spread on the property at least once every six months. Each coop must provide at least two square feet per chicken, and each run must provide at least 10 square feet per chicken.

Chickens must stay on the subject property at all times, ruling out free-ranging onto neighboring land. Roosters are prohibited outright unless the lot is larger than five acres, and feed must be stored in rodentproof containers. All coops and fenced run areas must be kept in good condition for as long as chickens are kept, a standing maintenance duty the Zoning Officer can enforce at any time.