Backyard chickens in State College, Pennsylvania
Everything you need to know before you start a backyard flock in State College – the rules, the climate and the neighbors with teeth.
Can you keep chickens in State College?
Good news for Happy Chickens fans in Happy Valley: the Borough of State College allows residents to keep up to four chicken hens at one-family dwellings, provided you get a zoning permit and follow the Borough's specific coop, setback, and sanitation rules.
Yes – with conditions
Yes. The Borough of State College permits the keeping of chicken hens (no roosters) as an accessory use at one-family dwellings. The keeping of chickens is regulated jointly by the Borough's Animal Code (Ch. II, Part C, §§ 2-301 through 2-307) and its Zoning Ordinance (Ch. XIX, § 19-501.l(7), 'Chicken hens at one-family dwellings'). Under the zoning code, no more than four chicken hens may be kept per one-family dwelling, and a zoning permit is required for the hens, the coop, and any outside run.
The rules at a glance
- Hens in city limits
- Allowed
- How many hens
- 4
- Roosters
- conditional
- Permit required
- Yes
- Setback from property line
- 30 ft.
Peggy knows State College
The rules, straight from the municipal code.
- Hen limit: No more than four chicken hens shall be kept per one-family dwelling (§ 19-501.l(7)(a)).
- Roosters: No person shall keep a rooster in the Borough on a tract of land less than 10 acres in size (§ 19-501.l(7)(b)) — effectively prohibiting roosters on nearly all standard residential lots.
- Coop construction: Hens must be housed in a roofed coop that is stationary, secure and enclosed in a way that contains the chickens (§ 19-501.l(7)(c)).
- Coop setback: The coop may not be located within 30 feet of any main building on an adjacent lot, and coops/runs are also subject to the Borough's general accessory-structure setbacks (§ 19-501.l(7)(d), (i)).
- Coop size: Minimum 3 square feet of coop space per chicken; maximum overall coop size of 20 square feet (§ 19-501.l(7)(e)).
- Outside run: An attached outside run is allowed, must be no larger than 10 square feet per chicken, must contain the chickens, and — like the coop — may not be within 30 feet of a main building on an adjacent lot (§ 19-501.l(7)(f)-(h)).
- Screening: Coops and runs must be screened from ground-level view from adjacent lots using fencing, landscaping, or a combination of both (§ 19-501.l(7)(j)).
- Permit: A zoning permit is required to keep chicken hens, and for the coop and outside run; the fee is the same as charged for small shed permits (§ 19-501.l(7)(k)).
- Running at large: Chickens may not run at large on streets, sidewalks, parks, or any property without an approved coop/run; an unconfined chicken is deemed 'at large' (§ 2-302).
- Sanitation: Owners must keep chickens under sanitary conditions; feces must be double-bagged and trashed, or composted, and may not be allowed to accumulate into a public-health nuisance (§ 2-303).
- Manure/composting: Spreading raw chicken manure on the ground is prohibited; composting on-site (with later application of the composted material to gardens/yards) is allowed (§ 2-304).
- Slaughter: Slaughtering chickens within the Borough is prohibited (§ 2-305).
- Feed storage: Feed, water, and related items must be stored to prevent rodent/vector infestation (§ 2-306).
- Penalties: Violations are subject to a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $600 plus costs, or up to five days in the county jail in default of payment (§ 2-307).
Keeping a flock happy in State College
🌡️ Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
State College sits in central Pennsylvania's Nittany Valley and experiences a humid continental climate with cold, snowy winters (often below 20°F) and warm, humid summers. Coops should be insulated or wind-blocked for winter and well-ventilated for summer humidity; the 20-square-foot maximum coop size set by the zoning code means good ventilation design is especially important for the allowed four hens.
🦝 Who's after your hens
Central Pennsylvania's mix of wooded hillsides and suburban borough lots supports foxes, coyotes, red-tailed hawks, raccoons, opossums, and skunks — all of which are drawn to small backyard flocks. Because State College's ordinance requires the coop and any run to fully contain the chickens and caps the run at only 10 square feet per bird, predator-proof fencing (buried hardware cloth, secure latches, and a covered run) is essential given the limited footprint allowed.
🐔 Breeds that do well here
Wyandotte, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Orpington, Australorp
Our package comes with two Rhode Island Reds – hardy in heat and cold, and friendly with kids.
Questions people ask about State College
▸How many chickens can I keep in State College?
Up to four chicken hens are allowed per one-family dwelling under § 19-501.l(7)(a) of the zoning code.
▸Can I keep a rooster in State College Borough?
Only if your property is at least 10 acres in size — the code states no person shall keep a rooster on a tract of land smaller than that, which rules out roosters for virtually all typical residential lots (§ 19-501.l(7)(b)).
▸Do I need a permit to keep backyard hens?
Yes. A zoning permit is required for the hens themselves as well as for the coop and any outside run; the fee matches whatever the Borough currently charges for a small shed permit (§ 19-501.l(7)(k)).
▸How far from my neighbor's house does the coop need to be?
The coop (and any outside run) cannot be located within 30 feet of any main building on an adjacent lot, and must also meet the Borough's general accessory-structure setbacks (§ 19-501.l(7)(d), (h), (i)).
▸Can I compost or spread my chickens' manure?
You may compost manure on the property where the chickens are kept and later apply the composted material to gardens or yards, but spreading raw, uncomposted chicken manure on the ground anywhere in the Borough is prohibited (§ 2-304).
City rules change, and this page is a summary rather than legal advice. Please confirm with State College or your HOA before you order – and call us on (559) 321-7271 if you'd like a hand. Last checked September 28, 2026.
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