Family Calls Fowl Over Court Summons For Chicken Ownership

Bill May has lived in Falls Township’s Fallsington section his entire life, and for all of those years he has raised chickens. His family are urban homesteaders and they have reported no issues until recently.

Now, this lifestyle is in jeopardy and Bill and Leslie May are fighting for their tradition.

During a home improvement project about two-and-a-half years ago, a Falls code enforcer came through the property that abuts preserved woods and saw the family’s chickens but did not say anything regarding their legality. On November 29, the couple received a  court summons for having a violation regarding boarding, raising and practicing animal husbandry on their property.

The couple argues that, given their history of raising animals, they should be grandfathered in to any change in the township code.

If the Mays lose at a court hearing later this month, they could end up paying hundreds in fines and even have to get rid of their chickens.

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“My goal is not only to keep our chickens, but also change the zoning laws to add stipulations for chickens,” Leslie said.

“It would be a very big change for us to not have them.”

The Mays have 15 chicks and five hens spread between two coops on their property. The urban homestead includes room for the fowl to roam around, the family said.

The Mays claim that when Bill’s family transferred ownership of the Fallsington property to him several years back, the township said told them they were not violating rules by owning chickens.

There are a number of other families with chickens in the neighborhood who were not summoned to court, the Mays said.

“The raising, boarding and/or husbandry of farm animals is prohibited in residential zoning districts in Falls Township,” Zoning Officer Thomas Bennett told LevittownNow.com for a 2016 story on chicken ownership. He did not respond to a request for comment this week on the Mays’ case.

The May family’s goal is to be totally self sufficient. They grow as much of their own fruits and vegetables as possible and use their chickens for eggs and meat. The lifestyle gives the Mays’ young kids a chance to learn about responsibility, compassion and learn where their food comes from.

“There is more responsibility than you could even imagine,” Leslie said.

The couple argues that historic Fallsington, where traditions already live, should be able to flourish, including residents should be able to raise and eat their own chickens.

The Mays have a number of letters from neighbors in the area who like the fact the Mays are keeping their way of life alive.

“It’s a case of what Fallsington is in the community,” Bill said. “I don’t want to feel like a rusty wheel for the township. I am doing this because I think it is right.”

A petition to support the Mays has more than 1,200 signatures as of Thursday evening.

The couple is asking supporters to come attend the Falls Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, January 9 at 7 p.m. at the township meeting room.