Chickens in the suburbs bring challenges — along with the fresh eggs

Clauer said. But while there are many reasons to raise a small poultry flock, improving family economics is not one of them. “Once you factor in all the costs, no one can produce eggs at home less expensively than stores,” he said.

Mrs. Krauland agreed. “I joke that my eggs cost me about $65 a dozen,” she said.

Her flock does offer intangible benefits. “The chickens definitely have personalities, and it’s interesting to watch the pecking order,” she said.

Then there is the pure aesthetics. “Some of the hens are spectacular looking,” she said.

Anyone whose image of chickens is limited to the familiar white Leghorn would be dazzled by the variety of colors and sizes among the birds in Mrs. Krauland’s flock. Her birds include a red Wyandotte, Barnevelders and both golden and silver Marans. Marans, a fowl family of French origin, produce chocolate brown eggs.

Mrs. Krauland’s 10-footby-20-foot chicken house and run are behind the family garage and not visible to neighbors.

Regulation of backyard agriculture, including poultry, is a local issue and, as a result, no one knows how many local families have taken up raising chickens.

Mr. Whelpley said that much of the chicken feed sold at his Mount Nebo Agway store in Ohio Township is to small-flock customers who buy one or two bags at a time. The store on McAteer Road is a family-owned business.

Both proponents and opponents of small-flock poultry have made their cases to municipal officials in recent weeks. Ross commissioners, for example, have heard both complaints and defenses regarding chickens in the North Hills community.

An existing nuisance ordinance in Ross already forbids animals, including chickens, from running loose, digging or defecating on neighboring properties. In response to neighborhood complaints, zoning administrator Dominic Rickert has been working on a more specific ordinance covering backyard poultry. The proposed measure would limit where, when and how many chickens could be raised within the township.

The proposed ordinance would require that any chicken house be at least 25 feet from property lines and provide at least 10 square feet of enclosed space for each bird. It would forbid keeping roosters, which are notorious for their long and loud cries.

Mr. Rickert’s draft proposal is being reviewed by township solicitor Bonnie Brimmeier, and revision is likely before the measure is presented to commissioners for a vote. Any action on the bill is months away, he said.

Latrobe acted on an ordinance this summer that limits where chicken houses can be built.

They can be constructed only in the backyard and must be at least 20 feet from all property lines and 40 feet from any dwelling. The new rules also limit the total number of birds to six.

Latrobe zoning officer Ann E. Powell said the city’s ordinance was adopted as a pro-active measure to head off potential problems and not in response to complaints.

Dustin Heeter, a livestock educator with Penn State’s Extension Service in Westmoreland County, specializes in animal production and marketing.

Backyard farmers who use common sense and follow good agricultural practices should be able to avoid creating any problems for themselves or for their neighbors, he said.

“There are already more chickens out there than anybody is aware of,” Mr. Heeter said. Birds that are properly cared for will not create insect, odor or safety issues, he said. “A dozen chickens should create less mess than a medium or large dog,” he said.

Anyone contemplating small-flock poultry, however, should enter into the project with eyes wide open.

Mrs. Krauland said caring for her flock doesn’t take much time each day, but it is a year-round responsibility. “Every day you must feed, water and collect eggs,” she said. Chickens’ feathers do a good job of keeping them warm in winter, but their owners must make sure that they have shade, protection from rain and access to water. When a backyard farmer goes away on vacation or a business trip, a “chicken sitter” must be found.

Mr. Clauer, the Penn State poultry specialist, pointed out a difference between caring for household pets and farm animals. “There are no kennels for chickens,” he said. As a result, he’s observed a high dropout rate among backyard farmers.

For example, a small group of residents in State College persuaded the borough council in 2008 to adopt an ordinance allowing owners of single-family homes to keep a maximum of four hens.

Mr. Clauer estimated that within two years, half the people among the original supporters of the ordinance had given up raising chickens.