(A) No roosters. Only hens shall be allowed within the Borough of Tatamy.
(B) Number of chickens.
(1) A maximum of six chickens shall be permitted per property.
(2) In the event 50% or more of the flock is made up of bantam chickens, a collective maximum of ten chickens shall be permitted per property.
(C) Distance. A chicken coop and run shall be located in the rear yard of a property. The chicken coop and run must be a minimum of ten feet from structures with habitable space on all adjacent properties.
(1) A chicken coop and run must be at least 25 feet from any street.
(2) A chicken coop and run may not be closer than five feet from any property line.
(D) The footprint of a chicken coop and enclosed run shall not exceed 100 square feet. The maximum height of the coop shall be eight feet. A chicken coop shall have either a raised floor of at least 18 inches above ground level, or it must incorporate a mesh apron buried around the perimeter of the coop or run, with hardware cloth with no more than one-half inch openings to prevent wildlife intrusion.
(1) A chicken coop shall provide no less than one square foot per chicken.
(2) A chicken run will provide no less than four square feet per chicken.
(3) All chicken coops are required to have a chicken run.
(E) No slaughtering of chickens is allowed.
(F) Chicken coops and runs shall be maintained in a clean fashion to prevent odors and chicken manure shall be removed unless used for composting.
(G) Chickens shall have access to feed and clean water at all times, as well as shade during daylight hours. Owners should store all feed supplies in rodent-proof containers. Chickens shall be enclosed in a secure coop from dusk until dawn.
(H) Nuisance conditions.
(1) Nuisance conditions are not allowed. Nuisance conditions include, but in no way are limited to, foul smells, flies, vermin, and excessive noise.
(2) Chicken coops and runs shall be maintained in a clean fashion to prevent odors. Chicken manure shall be removed unless used for composting purposes. The owner should dispose of waste material (feed, manure, and litter) in an environmentally responsible manner. In the event of composting, the chicken manure must be maintained in such a way that no nuisance is caused.
(3) At the discretion of the Zoning/Code Enforcement Officer or Police Officers or the assigned official, the finding of nuisance conditions may result in the forfeiture of a property's chickens.
(I) Number of permits granted. The borough will grant up to five permits the first year after adopting said ordinance. The borough will grant up to ten additional permits during the second year after adoption of said ordinance. The borough will grant up to additional permits each year after the third year of adoption of said ordinance. The borough reserves the right to stop granting permits if the keeping of chickens becomes a nuisance to the Borough of Tatamy.
(Ord. 293-2022, passed 1-9-2023)