After five months of debate and public hearings, commissioners adopted changes in the town's ordinance that would allow the fowl to take up quarters in the town limits. But the birds won't have free rein.

Changes to the town's ordinance would allow hens but not roosters; no more than 10 hens on 25,000 square foot lots, eight hens on 15,000 square foot lots, and a five-hen limit on lots of at least 7,000 square feet up to 10,000 square feet.

Slaughtering of chickens would be prohibited on the property.

A hen house, similar in design to an accessory building, would be allowed but required to be placed only in the rear yard no less than 25 feet from an adjacent property line.

All enclosures must have a top or lid.

Commissioner Sid Baynes pointed out the wording of the latest ordinance proposal created a loophole that would allow a pen to be located anywhere on a residents property.

"The way I read it, if a coup exists they are told where it is supposed to be, Baynes said. "But one can have a pen without a coup and that pen could be at the property line."

Acting Town Manager Teresa Piner said that was not the intent of the wording.

Commissioner Ginna Gray asked to change the wording to include an enclosed area for chickens to move around in as well as a shelter.

"Our goal is to have some shelter, but chickens can come outside into a pen, which also has a lid on it," Gray said.

Mayor Harold Broadwell helped shape the wording of the ordinance changes to require that a shelter or coup and the surrounding pen be no less than 25 feet from an adjacent property line.

The change allows the shelter and pen to share the same boundary as long as they are the minimum distance from a neighboring property.

Once the board members were happy with the requirements, Commissioner Christie Adams, who started the chicken conversation in July on behalf of local supporters, called for a vote to approve the ordinance allowing residents to raise chickens.

Commissioners voted 4-1 in favor of the ordinance, with Commissioner Carol Hinnant voting against.