Lancaster County sets no rule on backyard chickens or livestock — that is municipal zoning. In this heavily agricultural county, rural townships broadly permit poultry and farm animals, while Lancaster City prohibits fowl and livestock in residential zones.
Under Pennsylvania's Municipalities Planning Code (MPC, 53 P.S. §10101 et seq.), land use is set by each of the county's 60 municipalities, not the county. Lancaster County is the nation's leading farmland-preservation county, so its many agricultural and rural-residential townships (East Hempfield, Manheim, Warwick) allow chickens, roosters, and livestock, often subject to lot-size and setback rules. By contrast, the City of Lancaster's zoning code bars keeping fowl and farm animals in residential districts. Because rules vary sharply lot-by-lot, confirm your parcel's zoning district with your township or borough zoning office before adding hens or livestock.
Zoning violations are enforced by the municipality; typical penalties are municipal fines per day of violation until the animals are removed or a variance is obtained.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
lancaster-county-pa
Lancaster County has no backyard-composting ordinance. Home composting is allowed statewide and encouraged by PA DEP; nuisance limits (odor, rodents, setback...
lancaster-county-pa
Lancaster County does not regulate artificial turf. Whether you may install synthetic lawn, and any impervious-coverage or stormwater limits, is set by your ...
lancaster-county-pa
Lancaster County does not require or restrict native-plant landscaping. Whether a meadow or native garden is allowed depends on your municipality's grass/wee...
lancaster-county-pa
Rainwater collection is legal statewide in Pennsylvania; neither Lancaster County nor the state restricts it, and PA DEP encourages rain barrels for stormwat...
lancaster-county-pa
Lancaster County sets no watering schedule. Water-use restrictions in Pennsylvania come from the state Drought Task Force and PA DEP. Watering limits are vol...
lancaster-county-pa
Lancaster County sets no weed ordinance; your municipality does (e.g., Lancaster City's six-inch limit). Statewide, Pennsylvania's Controlled Plants and Noxi...
See how Lancaster County's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.