O'Hara residents embrace the perks of poultry keeping

Some lucky chickens are living an “im’peck’able” lifestyle in O’Hara.

New chicken owner Heather Bradley lives on Eton Drive and built what she’s dubbed the “Polish Poultry Palace” for her feathered friends that she considers pets.

“Chickens are fun and the kids are really involved with helping to raise them,” Bradley said. “They were hand-raised in the house and garage before moving into the Palace.”

For the Bradley family, their seven hens, all named after aunts in the family, are pets with a healthy and a soon-to-be economical benefit — fresh eggs daily.

The family composts the chicken droppings and Bradley said is looking forward to collecting fresh eggs soon when the hens begin laying.

“I feel rich now that I’ll soon have eggs,” said Bradley, noting the hens are approaching 20 weeks of age and will be mature enough to provide eggs.

Currently, the average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities is almost $5, more than double the low of $2.04 recorded in August of 2023. The U.S. Agriculture Department predicts egg prices will jump another 20 percent this year.

Those driving nearby would likely never notice any sign that Bradley keeps a flock of chickens, as the township requires birds to be housed in approved backyard chicken coops.

O’Hara is the most recent municipality in the Fox Chapel Area School District to allow the keeping of backyard chickens.

Neighboring municipalities such as Indiana Township, Sharpsburg and Fox Chapel also allow backyard chickens.

O’Hara Council voted 6-0 in June 2023 to approve a zoning ordinance amendment allowing domestic chicken keeping in residential and certain commercial districts.

To read about the requirements for keeping chickens in O’Hara, click here.

In O’Hara, all chickens are required to be kept in a rear yard and no roosters are allowed.

Residents may keep no more than 20 hens.

Fox Chapel Area High School freshman Gus Bradley is a bit of a chicken wrangler these days.

Gus assists with chicken-keeping daily duties and said he is happy having feathered friends as pets.

“They’re fun to hang out with. My favorite is Pepper because she’s friendly and adventurous and explores a lot,” Gus said.

Courtesy of Chris Zaremby

Ian Zaremby hangs out in his O’Hara backyard with a hen.

The Zaremby family of O’Hara has found the perfect poultry as pets solution for a busy family.

They rent chickens during the summer months and last year named their three hens Teriyaki, Cashew and Sesame.

“Renting the chickens for the warmer months only is a perfect chicken care option for our busy family,” said mom Chris Zaremby. “While having the chickens meant adding yet another chore to our busy agenda, it positively got us to spend more time outside and engaged in meaningful family conversations about where food comes from and the economics around it.”

Zaremby said her four children loved the experience and they plan to have chickens again this summer.

“I loved listening to the little kids’ giggles and the big kids’ reactions. I’m grateful for the family memories that were made doing something not many of their peers have a chance to experience.”

The family selected Rent The Chicken, a local chicken rental business based out of South Buffalo Township offering chicken rental packages to folks looking to keep chickens, without the long-term commitment.

A standard 2025 rental package runs from April-October or May-November and is priced at $495.

That includes delivery, setup, two egg-laying hens, a standard chicken coop, food, a guide for caring for chickens.

Rent The Chicken co-founder Jenn Tompkins said around seven to 12 O’Hara families use Rent The Chicken annually and there’s been an uptick since the ordinance passed.

“The township supervisors ultimately did a great job both keeping the chickens in mind, as well as the chicken keepers. They found a great balance for everyone and not all municipalities arrive to that compromise,” Tompkins said.

The Zarembys applied and paid for a township chicken permit and described the process as efficient and easy.

“The township contact made an appointment once the chickens were there to confirm we were in compliance. He was on and off the property in about five minutes. I felt the process was fair and appreciated,” Zaremby said.

A $50 fee is required by the township to legally house backyard chickens.

Information on how many residents have applied for chicken permits is unavailable as O’Hara Township manager Julie Jakubec did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

A chicken permit checklist is online at ohara.pa.us.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that the Zaremby family has four children.