They're not just for farms. Chickens are becoming more and more common in suburban neighborhoods, at least the places that allow them.

Owning chickens can be a pretty sweet arrangement. You feed them, and they feed you eggs.

"It's pretty, it's much more attractive," said Brenda Snyder of the eggs her chickens produce. "And the flavor is like a burst of flavor in your mouth. An explosion of flavor," adds Shawn Wornica.

Snyder and Wornica own about 30 chickens at their Clarence home. They get their chickens locally from Dispenza Farms in Lockport. Both say backyard chicken ownership was a trend before the pandemic.

Once the pandemic hit, the trend picked up even more steam.

"Self-sufficiency is really important," says Wornica. "So if you think the food is going to have a problem, like toilet paper, you worry about that, you worry about food, and some of the shelves are not as full as they used to be."

Whether you can have chickens in your backyard depends on where you live. Some towns and villages don't allow it, while others allow it with a permit. And that's where neighbor concerns can come in.

Some neighbors don't like the idea of chickens living next door. Which is why it's important to do it right.

"Chickens in a clean chicken coop are not smelly," says Snyder. "It's great to teach children responsibility."

Snyder and Wornica usually hold classes on backyard chickens at their store - The Happy Shack on Transit Road in Clarence. They say there are simple things you can do to try to let everybody exist peacefully.

"You bring me over six muffins I'll bring you six eggs, you know," says Snyder. "It is all about working together."