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Not sure if it helps but there may be a loophole for you in there. Do you have kids in 4H & does 4H count as "animal exhibition"? Are you a teacher & could your flock be used for educational purposes? Several home school moms are technically schools. They need to be in order to get the same...

There's a 4H loop-hole in DuPage. If you're in unincorporated DuPage, have an acre or more of land, & a child in 4H, you can own poultry & rabbits (maybe even goats). Child must be enrolled in that project - even if they decide not to show their animals. If it's less than an acre, I do not...

If you have a kid in 4H (must be actively enrolled in a poultry project) & have an acre, then yes. You may keep chickens, rooster, rabbits, & even goats. For most other people, you need to have understanding neighbors & keep them hidden in your garage. Many suburban towns that allow...

Wow 1-2 hens just seems cruel! In Westmont, it's 6 hens & in Downer's Grove it's 4 hens. Even that seems small since our family eats about 2 doz eggs per week. There is of course a loophole if you're in 4H.

My guess is that they're young & sleeping in the nest boxes. Try closing the nests up (blocking access) at night to teach them they should sleep on the roost. Once in a while I even have to place a pullet up there. If it's done after dark, they should stay put. Open the nests during...

BTW- In the winter you'll get less eggs, so bringing out a basket & carton is pointless. You will however, get some. Often I put them in my coat pocket. I think you may see where this is going....... I have walked around with an egg in my pocket until something accidentally bumps my side...

My coop/run also got some additions. Every year, I come up with some kind of "home improvement." The big thing you'll want to figure out is how you're going to change things when winter arrives. (No hose = a change in how you clean things. Nov - end of March you'll want the chicken chores to...

Nice job!

I have a chicken tractor like that. Basically, I put my chicks & younger pullets in there during the day.(Hawk protection.) At night I put everyone in the coop. The nice part is how I move it to new grass, so no cleaning. I allow the chickens over 16wks to just free range with the flock &...

Your coop pic didn't show up, but Reggie looks adorable.

i made some collars too. The success of them depends on the roo. One roo needs to wear it (& it helps A LOT), one roo has a softer low-pitched crow, and the 3rd doesn't crow (only 3xs). I don't bother putting collars on 2 of them since their sounds don't carry. Make sure you check the neck...

Our neighbors are great too. Back when we started, there was a lot of grey area. The answer of legality all depended on which clerk you asked & how they interpreted the wording. Realistically, if no one complains; no one will bother knocking on your door. We simply asked the neighbors if...

Glad to hear you're making progress.

Hope all goes well. Our town passed a law to allow chickens. It's great for anyone new to poultry & those living on small lots near the town's center. For people who already own poultry, the new laws are more restrictive. ie - Before: coop had to be min 75 ft from closest neighbor's house...

We let our neighbors in on it before deciding to keep the hens. We also always share extra tomatoes, zucc, cucmbers, etc. from our garden. So when I mentioned hens, they thought....."We'll get fresh EGGS!" My neighbors are fantastic & enjoy throwing kitchen scraps over the fence. The...

That's kind of odd - 24 hrs. Normally a village sends out a letter stating the exact code violation & gives 30 days (or something like that) for you to comply / resolve the violation. Talking nicely with them also helps. Simply ask what you can do to keep your pets. It may mean getting rid...

That's a good one! My daughter joined 4H just so we could legally own chickens (before our town made them legal). In the long run, it's been a great thing to build self confidence, make friends, & enjoy all the learning opportunities. Wish I had known about it when I was a kid!

Westmont Update: They added a building code ordinance to allow residential zones to have secondary structures to house up to 6 chickens. Bee keeping is also permitted. Sadly, my friend moved. She wanted to break free from the suburbs & the cold Midwest winters.

Westmont, IL is another gray area. There are codes that a poultry yard must be a min of 25 ft from the closest residence & public walkway. Also rules about sanitation & a town noise ordinance. Several people have a few hens & it's no big deal. When a friend accidently got 2 roos from her...