Area chicken coops either legitimate, illegal or in limbo

LEGAL: Thomson Ranch, situated on more than 20 forested acres in Durham County, is home to two coops and two flocks of large hens -- and one persnickety rooster.

Judy Thomson and her family first got their chickens about 10 years ago when they moved to their spacious property from Woodcroft. Both Judy and her husband, Steve, were nostalgic about the chickens from their grandparents' farms, but she can understand people's skepticism.

"I might have had some reluctance," she said, if her neighbors in the city wanted hens. But now that she's informed, she doesn't see a problem with them as long as they are properly cared for.

STATUS UNCERTAIN: On a typical lot in south Durham, near the Streets at Southpoint mall, four hens of different colors live a pretty sweet life. Their owners have had chickens off and on for 20 years, but are not sure they are still legal since the property was annexed by the city a few years ago.

Their hens are more pets than anything else and live in a 64-square-foot coop. They hop inside the house when lonely, perch on the kitchen windowsill in the evenings and provide hours of entertainment. The owners, who shall remain anonymous, don't even like eggs all that much.

RENEGADE: Nestled in the densely populated Morehead Hills neighborhood is an illegal coop. Complete with a window box full of flowers, the two-story structure resembles a house with its red-painted coop, tin roof and "stairway" for the few hens living within. This family's two daughters love having chickens in their backyard, and the fresh eggs are incredible, the coop's owners say.