Chickens As Pets Win Planners' Approval, Yours Too

Discussion was brief Thursday night, as South Whitehall planners voted to recommend that township commissioners adopt an ordinance change to allow chickens as pets.

That's good news for 8-year-old Carisa Fogt, whose plea two months ago to have chickens as pets prompted the proposed change in township rules.

The draft ordinance now goes back to the township commissioners for a vote.

Patch launched in September that asked: Should a South Whitehall ordinance be changed to allow Carissa to keep chickens as pets?

Here's how you voted:

Yes. 82 votes, or 90 percent

No. 9 votes, or 9 percent

Got more to say? Add it on our comments section below.

The proposed new wording in the ordinance would allow for up to four chickens, not roosters, as pets in rural residential and rural holding areas, with setback requirements. 

"It's a good thing," said planning board member Brian Hite, after the vote. "The township was founded on agriculture."

The debate over chickens began in August when Carisa’s grandfather, Steve Fogt, to the township’s zoning hearing board to allow Carisa to keep chickens as pets at her home at 2108 Scherer Road in an R-H (rural holding) designated zone. 

The zone permits up to 100 chickens if the property is five or more acres, and if they are kept 150 feet from property lines and 300 feet from roadways. The Fogt property is less than a half acre.

The zoners  because the township's current ordinance did not recognize chickens as pets but advised Steve Fogt to petition the commissioners to have wording changed in the ordinance. .

The keeping of chickens as pets or to producs eggs has become increasingly in the past decade or so, even in cities, experts say.