Chicks tour set for Dad's day

The Pittsburgh Pro-Poultry People, or P4, has organized the second annual Chicks-in-the-Hood tour of backyard chicken coops. It is Sunday from 9a to 3p.

This self-guided tour costs $10 per person (children get in free), and with that you get access to coops of chickens being raised in the city, a tour booklet, a map with directions to each participating coop and an official Chicks-in-the-Hood collectible pin.

All proceeds will be donated to Grow Pittsburgh.

Tickets are available at the Quiet Storm, 5430 Penn Ave., Friendship/Garfield;  Tazza D’Oro, 1125 N. Highland Ave., Highland Park; Animal Nature, 7610 Forbes Avenue, Regent Square; at Thompson’s 0.08 Acres, 1240 Resaca Pl., Central Northside, and at Choderwood, 7665 Lock Way West, at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Allegheny River Boulevard.  

For more information, contact Jody Noble at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The first tour last year attracted more than 300 people and earned the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food bank $1,712.

The tour promotes the keeping of hens and backyard sustainability projects and features a variety of coop styles and breeds. The chicken-keepers will be on hand at each location to share their methods.

Jody describes the Pittsburgh Pro-Poultry People, P4, as “a group of volunteers who seek to promote the joy of chickens and the freedom to design and build small structures within the city without permit requirements. We are passionate about urban chickens for many reasons, including:  they bring us closer to the food chain and circle of life; they provide fresh eggs, create fertilizer for the garden and are voracious insect eaters; and they are great pets.”

Pittsburgh city council enacted legal guidelines for chicken and bee keepers last year. It restricts rendering and sets standards about food storage and cage size, location and security.

The law allows three chickens and two beehives for every 2,000 square feet of property. One more of each is allowed for each additional 1,000 square feet.