Aug 26, 2016 1 min read

MONESSEN – City Council in Monessen took steps this week to allow residents to keep as many as six chickens in their backyards.

Each lot must have an existing single-family residence to qualify for a permit to keep chickens under the ordinance Councilman Ron Chiaravalle said makes it easy for residents to follow its rules.

“It’s not very restrictive at all,” Chiaravalle said.

He said the city decided to take up the issue after other municipalities began to relax the rules on chickens, as many residents today want to live more sustainable lives.

Council took a look at chicken ordinances in some larger cities and narrowed them down to something that will work for Monessen.

A resident must pay a $25 annual fee for a permit to have a coop, which must be of a size whereby each chicken has 3 square feet of room to roam. No roosters will be allowed within city limits.

There are sanitation rules included in the ordinance that was approved Monday and becomes law Sept. 1.

No commercial slaughtering of the animals is permitted, and all feed must be stored in such a way that it doesn’t attract rodents.