Warren residents will see some tighter regulation of chickens housed in the city limits.

City Council members recently approved changes to Chapter 149 of the Warren City Code governing animals kept in the city.

Randy Rossey, city codes and planning director, said there has been an increase in the number of inquiries and complaints regarding keeping chickens and other barnyard animals in the city, prompting a review of the City Code. The code had limited chicken houses or chicken coops to within 25 feet of any house while no chicken park, uncovered or open, poultry yard, rabbit pen or cow stable could be maintained within 60 feet of any house. The code also doesn’t allow hog pens in the city limits nor hogs kept in the city limits and bees or beehives within the city limits. That doesn’t change with the updated version of the code.

Changes make clear there are no free-range chickens allowed in the city, no roosters, and a permit will be required to build a chicken coop because they are now considered auxiliary buildings. The new code language also gives the city the ability to check on permits to make sure chicken owners followed the city’s guidelines as to where the coop is located.

“The reason for this is the way the ordinance is currently written, you would call our office and ask if you’re allowed to have chickens and we would say yes,” Rossey said. “We would never know if you have any chickens or moved forward with the process or any of those things. We weren’t required to go and check that you followed the guidelines as to where that coop was located. This will require my department to go over and do a follow up just to make sure you are doing what you are supposed to be doing.”

Councilwoman Wendy McCain asked about the rationale to not allow free-range chickens.

“Chickens can fly,” Rossey said. “That’s why they have to have a covering over the top of the house. And once they do escape from their property they become a nuisance to your neighbors. And that’s mainly what we get calls from. They will go in and scratch people’s properties, but people are more concerned with them being out in the street and getting hit.”

McCain also asked about bees, which weren’t allowed in the city code as adopted in 1988. Rossey said that doesn’t change in the new version of Chapter 149 because bees are considered dangerous to those who are allergic to bee stings. Councilwoman Danielle Flasher asked about the section of the code dealing with hogs – namely teacup pigs.

Teacup pigs are typically advertised as miniature pigs, and while they are smaller than typical barnyard hogs can still still grow to between 50 and 200 pounds.

“People do get teacup pigs, but usually teacup pigs get bigger and as they do they become a nuisance,” Rossey said. “Our current ordinance outlaws what we call pigs. We made this broader and made it swine so it’s all encompassing.”

Councilman Maurice Cashman asked if people who have chickens now are grandfathered in under the old regulations or have to come under the new ordinance. Rossey said those who have chickens and don’t fall under the new guidelines won’t see any changes. Rossey said complaints don’t usually focus on the construction of chicken coops, but with the idea of free-range chickens. There are typically three or four complaints a year, but Rossey said city officials have seen an increase in calls about chickens in the city in recent years.

“Most of it has to do with roosters, which under the new ordinance you would not be allowed to have roosters,” Rossey said. “That has to do with the crowing. The other thing is we’re starting to see more people inquiring about having chickens in the city due to the present cost of eggs.”

There were also questions about having livestock within the city, including houses that have carriage houses with stables. Rossey said nothing has changed in the City Code – there are still no horses or cows allowed in the city limits. McCain asked a final question about the sale of eggs within the city limits since people are raising chickens because of the high cost of supermarket eggs.

“If you sell eggs in the city that’s under the Pennsylvania food laws,” Rossey said. “You have to be able to identify where those chickens came from, the eggs. So basically if you’re selling, same thing for our farmers market. If you’re selling eggs at the farmers market you have to be able to identify where those eggs were produced. Simply because if there should be some sort of outbreak from the eggs you have to be able to identify the chickens.”