July 29, 2010 - Oblivious to the controversy that surrounds them, Fern, Scout and Peace wander happily around the backyard of the Slaughter residence in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood.

They love worms and bugs, say their owners, Steven and Suzanne Slaughter, and since they are just chickens, they don't get the irony of being owned by someone named Slaughter.

It's a happy life for the three Buff Orpington chickens, since they don't ask for much. And as pets they offer not just their own avian brand of companionship, but the occasional organic egg or two, or more.

Many people are surprised that it is legal in Chicago to keep chickens in your backyard, and that in fact, you can have as many as you want, as long as they are considered pets and not slaughtered.

Chicken ownership, once a standard practice for many American families, is enjoying a mild resurgence in popularity among families who appreciate organic foods or just want to have chickens as pets. How popular it is, is not exactly clear.

While there are a couple hundred members of the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts Google group, Slaughter says that's not an accurate count, since members of the page may not own chickens, while many other actual owners, especially among the city's ethnic communities, are not members of the Facebook page.

Though chickens are legal in Chicago, it's a different story in the suburbs. Chicken enthusiasts in Evanston had yet another setback earlier this month in their efforts to get a chicken ordinance passed by the city council, which tabled the proposition.

In Westmont an ordinance states that chicken coops can be kept but must be 150 feet from the nearest neighbor, which would eliminate most homeowners.

In Lockport last fall, a proposed ordinance permitting chicken ownership was shot down after being requested by a family that owned 11 chickens.

Steve Slaughter is a mild-mannered 5th grade teacher with three kids and a chicken coop. He's no wild-eyed extremist. He and Suzanne are urbanites who have a warm admiration for the rural lifestyle, and always wished their children could belong to 4-H, a youth program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Instead, one day they ordered a box of baby chicks and started their poultry family.

Slaughter built a lovely chicken coop under his deck and connected it to a chicken run along the side of his property. The run ends in a compost pile that the chickens like to dig in, thus aerating the compost so Slaughter doesn't have to do it. He has been experimenting with using coffee bean chafe, which is thrown out by a local coffee shop, as bedding material. So far it's working very well, he says; the coop smells lightly of coffee, and the used bedding goes into the compost when it's time to change it. The result, no detectible odor.

Hens are not very noisy either, he added, and noise should not be a problem as long as you avoid owning a rooster.

"We told our neighbors we were getting chickens and they had no problem with it. They are less noisy than a dog, and less work, too. Even five chickens is less work than one dog. We did accidentally get one rooster in a box of chicks one time, and we had to give him away," he said.

Unlike a dog, chickens don't need to be walked or played with, and though they are given chicken feed, they are happy to clean up table scraps and are particularly fond of oatmeal and grapes.

"They are curious pets," he said. "They are good companions when you are gardening. They are very industrious, and like to look for bugs."

Though Fern and friends spend most of their time in the coop, they are allowed out in the yard when someone is with them. The chickens are hardy and can live outside year-round, though they appreciate a warming light in the winter and huddle together when they get cold.

During severe cold snaps, the chickens are brought into a coop in the basement. At night they are locked in the coop to keep them safe from predators.

The average hen should lay an egg almost every day, but Slaughter says his chickens are not having a good summer. Fern has been laying about one egg a month.

"They are wonderful eggs. In the winter they just taste good, but in the summer when they forage outside, the yolks become very orange and much richer," he said.

Fresh-laid eggs are naturally coated with a substance that keeps the egg fresh and protected from bacteria even if not refrigerated. "I have heard of people leaving them out for two to three months," Slaughter said. "But as soon as you wash it, it will only keep two or three weeks in the refrigerator."

Comparing the output of eggs with the cost of care for the chickens, Slaughter figures the dollar value is a wash. He doesn't own them just for the eggs, but because they are a good experience for the kids. At first Suzanne was not a fan.

"I was a skeptic, but now I am completely won over," she said. "Each one is a lovable animal with a different personality, rowdy or calm, happy or aloof. They are quiet at night and don't shed or make a mess, and they don't take up much space. If I am in a bad mood, I can come out here and watch them for awhile and they crack me up."