POULTRY PETS

Raising chickens in your own back yard

Ava Vellotti commits 20 minutes a day to watering and feeding chickens and occasionally changing hay. For her troubles she is rewarded with fresh eggs year-round, natural fertilizer, insect eaters, plus a dozen feathered friends that serve as moving lawn ornaments with lots of personality.

Raising chickens may seem like a daunting task, especially in a city environment, but some Boise residents find keeping chickens a low-maintenance, highly rewarding project.

Boise municipal code allows chickens to be classified as pets rather than livestock when there are three or fewer hens (no roosters allowed, hens do not need roosters to …