My partner and I long to see the day when we can build our very own chicken coop in Forest Hills. When that day comes, we will source five lovely ladies to make their home in our backyard coop. Perhaps a few Araucanas, which lay eggs a lovely shade of blue, and a Sebright or two -- with their beautiful laced feathers -- will become part of our hen family. Every other major city in North Carolina except Cary, along with cities around the country, has passed rules allowing chickens. It's something we know Durham can manage to do in 2009.

Neighbors on both sides of us have expressed delight, and their children are eager to lend a hand with egg collection and the various chores that come with any form of pet keeping. I've noticed that some people who were around hens when they were young occasionally have unpleasant memories about them. Certainly, this cannot be a reason to prevent well-intentioned people from keeping them.

There is a trend in our country, and it has arrived in Durham, which is to know from where your food comes. My partner and I love the farmers' market and go just about every weekend when it's in operation. We eat better, which is good for our household and great for our community, as we keep our grocery dollars within a 50-mile radius whenever possible.

I was frustrated to hear the negative reaction from Mayor Bell and Councilman Clement as they recalled slaughtering chickens as boys at the City Council's work session last month. I'm not sure what this has to do with keeping hens. After all, I have two dogs, and some day they too will need to make their transition. When that day comes, my partner and I will do the right thing and enlist the help of our veterinarian as opposed to engaging in homemade euthanasia and pet burial.

My point being, what does this have to do with hen-keeping? Durham HENS (Healthy Eggs in Neighborhoods Soon) is a group of concerned citizens who seek to change the current zoning in an effort to allow hen-keeping in city limits. Hen-keeping for the purpose of fresh eggs, not fresh meat, is the point of this effort. This must be made clear!

With all due respect to the mayor and council member, times have changed and Durham HENS is not seeking to revive hen-keeping for the purpose of providing the meat for Sunday dinner. Instead, Durham HENS has found more than 1,500 like-minded citizens who agree that there is nothing but good in the effort to change this ordinance. They have engaged in thoughtful research and spent many months talking to people in the community and with elected officials. I hope the mayor and council member will rethink their personal reactions and consider the real issue here. It's about the eggs.

(Guest columnist Adrian Brown lives in Durham.)