Yeah--it is too bad that so many cities/towns have by-laws against having a backyard coop. We can have gardens, but the by-laws say no hens--you can have parrots in cages in your house, but no hens. My hens are friendly-they follow me around. Yes, they live outside (too hard to house train), but I do have excellent "overnight/foul weather/cold weather" accommodations for them. I count them at dusk to make sure they are all in the coop and then I lock up the coop. I tend to them at least 2x per day--I talk to them, introduce new stuff to their environment (they even have toys--roll-a-treats); they have access to the outside (free-range areas and enclosed to keep them safe from predators), fresh veggies, fresh water daily, and I pet them and carry them around. Several of them are "happy" riding on my shoulder. They probably get more attention than a dog that is tied out. But that's okay--people can do that (that is sarcasim--it isn't okay). My chickens are, for the most part, quiet. Can't say the same about "Cocky Rocky." But he's no more annoying than a dog that is tied out and barks at night "hello, is anyone there? I'm lonely!" I disagree with municipalities that don't allow people to have backyard coops. Growing up the little town where my grandma lived everyone had chicken coops. Those were different times...
