Upper Dublin residents are one step closer to legally owning backyard chickens, thanks to the planning commission’s unanimous approval of a motion to amend the township’s zoning ordinance during Tuesday night’s meeting.

The current zoning ordinance requires five acres of land to raise livestock, but the revised ordinance would allow a maximum of six chickens per lot, with a minimum lot size of half-an-acre and maximum of 12 chickens per property.

The amended ordinance would allow residents to raise chickens as pets and use them as a source for fresh eggs, however slaughtering the animals on-site or exceeding the maximum number of allowable chickens could result in a zoning violation which carries a fine $500 per day.

The planning commission suggested that those residents who wish to slaughter their chickens should instead take the birds to a local farm or butcher, where the remnants can be disposed of in a sanitary fashion.

Additional requirements of the amended ordinance include minimum pen and coop sizes, instructions on how to properly dispose of waste and composting and the forbiddance of owning roosters.

With the commission’s passing of the amended ordinance, the motion will now head to the Upper Dublin Board of Commissioners with a recommendation to publicly advertise the proposal.