Md.- Seven chickens are fenced in a small pen behind the Smith's home. The family just moved in on Saturday, but things are already off to a rocky start."We brought the chickens in late Saturday evening. By Sunday afternoon, I had a text message from the landlord that someone had complained about the chickens. So not even 24 hours were they here," said Nicole Smith.Nicole said she doesn't understand the complaint, as she said the birds are silent. To try and smooth things over, the kids delivered eggs around the neighborhood with their father."Took all the eggs we had, put them in a basket and walked around the neighborhood and knocked on the doors," said Danny Smith.

"My eggs cracked," chimed in his son Spencer.

"Yes, Spencer dropped three eggs."But the covenant forbidding the poultry still stands, for now.WBOC did contact Dorchester County's planning and zoning department. They said that if it is a covenant, the Smiths can petition to have it changed, and that might well happen. However, the catch is, if you have less than three acres of land in Dorchester County, you are not allowed to have livestock like chickens."They are more than just eggs. They are our pets; one of them even has a name," said Nicole.The Smiths hope the birds are here to stay.