Babbott and family are part of a feed co-op that brings in organic feed from Montana. They also share the chickens with their neighbors by rotating who cares for the chickens every other week.

One important thing to remember is to close the door to the coop at night, she said. Skunks and raccoons are a constant threat,

Some of the benefits of raising chickens include being able to know where you food comes from and knowing what it has eaten, Babbott said.

“We feed our scraps to chickens and know what kind of food they are eating as well as organic feed. We can use their waste in our compost,” she said.

Babbott’s family doesn’t plan to take advantage of a new slaughter rule in the ordinance. Babbott said her family has only killed a few of their chickens in the past after they stopped laying eggs.

“We usually keep our ‘freeloaders’ as pets,” she said. “It feels great to walk down the driveway and have a bunch of happy chickens come out to greet us -- puts big smiles on our faces. It is wonderful to be able to thank the chickens for the wonderful eggs they are providing us.”