SWATARA, Pa. — Chicken enthusiasts of Swatara Township may no longer have to "cross the road" to legally own their feathered friends.
Residents have spoken up against a local law limiting chicken ownership to properties of at least five acres of land, a threshold few in the township reach.
"A lot of the people that were asking to have chickens live on a property that was significantly smaller than five acres," said Swatara Township Commissioner Tom Connolly. "We thought five acres was pretty excessive, and that rule is outdated. So we'd love to make a change to include more people to give them the opportunity."
A new proposal before the Board of Commissioners would lower the threshold from five acres to one-fifth of an acre to own up to six chickens.
Swatara Township allowed resident Sue Bailey to raise six hens on her half-acre property as a test case for the proposal. Bailey, who lives along the border of Swatara and Susquehanna Township, said it had been frustrating seeing people living just blocks away be able to own chickens, while she could not.
"We were blocked by the township because I don't have five acres of land," Bailey said. "Yet, across the way we have neighbors that are raising chickens. So we started working with the township, and it's been a while but they finally let me get some chicks."
Under the proposal, township residents with between one-fifth and one-half of an acre can have up to six chickens, and residents with up to five acres can own up to 12.
"It'll give more people an opportunity," Connolly said. "We heard from residents after a neighboring municipality reduced their requirement to allow more people to have chickens on their personal property. We researched it with things that [the] municipality did, and we think we came up with a good solution for everybody."
Lower Paxton Township had passed a similar ordinance in 2021.
A public hearing regarding the ordinance is expected to take place on June 12.