Delaware County sets no rule on backyard chickens or livestock — this is municipal zoning. Each of the 49 boroughs and townships decides whether hens are permitted, how many, and setbacks. Densely built areas like Upper Darby generally prohibit poultry; check your municipal zoning code.
Pennsylvania counties do not do land-use zoning; under the PA Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247, 53 P.S. §10101 et seq.) that power belongs to each borough, township, and city. Whether you may keep chickens, ducks, goats, or other livestock — and any flock-size cap, coop setback, or ban on roosters — is set by your municipality's zoning ordinance, not by Delaware County. Suburban Delco municipalities vary widely: some inner boroughs bar all fowl, while more residential townships permit a limited number of hens on larger lots. The county's only animal-adjacent role is the Health Department (rabies/vector, on-lot sewage) and county park rules. Always confirm with your township zoning officer before building a coop.
Penalties are set by each municipality's zoning ordinance under the MPC — typically daily fines for a zoning violation and an order to remove non-permitted animals.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
delaware-county-pa
Backyard composting is legal across Delaware County and encouraged by the county's Act 101 recycling program. There is no county compost permit, but municipa...
delaware-county-pa
Delaware County sets no rule on artificial turf. Whether synthetic grass is allowed, and any impervious-coverage or stormwater conditions, is decided by your...
delaware-county-pa
Delaware County has no rule against native-plant or meadow landscaping. Native gardens are encouraged for stormwater and pollinator benefits, but you must st...
delaware-county-pa
Rainwater harvesting is legal in Pennsylvania and Delaware County has no ban. The county and its municipalities generally encourage rain barrels and cisterns...
delaware-county-pa
Delaware County publishes no lawn-watering schedule. Mandatory outdoor-water restrictions in Pennsylvania take effect only when the Governor declares a droug...
delaware-county-pa
There is no Delaware County weed ordinance. Each municipality bans noxious weeds and overgrown vegetation through its own property-maintenance code. Lower Ch...
See how Delaware 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 If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.