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Wayne Man Fights To Keep His Three Chickens

WAYNE, NJ (CBSNewYork) - A New Jersey resident is fighting to keep his three chickens, even though he doesn't have enough land to legally keep them.

WCBS 880's Sean Adams On The Story

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"I can raise up to 2,000 pigeons on the property I'm on right now," said Victor Alfieri of Wayne.

But he doesn't want pigeons. He wants to keep his three hens.

"They offer me fresh, healthy, organic eggs. Their manure is absolutely fantastic for my organic vegetable garden," he told WCBS 880 reporter Sean Adams.

But in Wayne, the local law says his quarter acre is just too small for three chickens, and his neighbor, Pandy Napolitano agrees.

"We feel it's bringing down our property value, along with the chickens, he says they don't make noise. We can hear them making the noise," she said.

When Adams visited, the hens barely went above a whisper and there was no mess and no odor.

The mayor is on Alfieri's side, but the entire council hasn't been swayed.

"I want the same right that someone has that owns a dog," said Alfieri.

So, he'll keep lobbying to amend the local poultry law, and he says momentum is on his side as more towns become chicken-friendly.

What do you think? Is a quarter acre too small to have chickens? Sound off in the comments section below!

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