Who We Are

Pittsburgh Pro-Poultry People, or P⁴, is a loosely-organized group of urban poultry-keepers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania seeking to promote the joy of chickens within the city and support reasonable urban livestock regulations.  We are passionate about urban chickens for many reasons. They give us an opportunity to produce our own food in an ethical way. They bring us closer to the most basic aspects of life. They provide fresh eggs, create fertilizer for the garden, and are voracious insect eaters.
And they are great pets!

What We Do

Outreach 
Chicken Coop Tours
Chicken-Keeping Classes
Event Representation
Stray Bird Re-Homing

Advocacy
Pittsburgh Urban Farming Code Reform

Support

Support Forum
Bird Purchasing, Rearing, and Re-Homing
Organic Feed Buying Cooperative

Our History

The raising of crops and livestock in urban centers is nothing new to Pittsburghers. Neighborhoods have always taken pride in the fruits and and vegetables they were able to produce for their families. Chickens once roamed the sidewalks, and instead of bike racks, cow catchers once adorned the front of our trolleys and inclines. As agriculture became redefined across the country as "backward," urban farming fell out of favor until the recent local/organic food movement brought chickens, bees, and gardens back into the city. We new-wave urban chicken-keepers had been operating under the radar, being covered by existing pet and noise ordinances, until 2010 when Pittsburgh City Council decided to create new ordinances related to urban agriculture - specifically chickens, bees, and market produce. When a restrictive and expensive draft of codes was announced, Pittsburgh urban-farmers flooded City Council in protest. Groups stepped forward to help revise the code language. Grow Pittsburgh dealt with gardening. Burgh Bees took on beekeeping. And two new groups emerged to work on the poultry and larger-livestock codes. Where before, many urban chicken-keepers didn't know of each others' existence, we were now able to come together for a common cause. We continue to fight for our right to farm, but also now offer support, share knowledge, assist each other with buying and re-homing birds, and buy organic feed as a group. We facilitate beginner poultry classes and organize an annual coop tour. We've been known as "The Chicken Ordinance Committee," "Pittsburgh Poultry Association," "The Chicken Club," and "Chicken Peeps." We are now "Pittsburgh Pro-Poultry People" and we're here to stay!

South Side Slopes chicken run, 1918

How to Reach Us

pittsburgh.pro.poultry.people@gmail.com
Facebook Group - Supporters 
Facebook Group - Members 
Facebook Page - Coop Tour
webmaster.p4@gmail.com (website inquires only)