A hen pecks sunflower seeds out of her owner's open palm, while the other ladies in the yard pluck them up from the grass.
Forget fountains, koi ponds, and fire pits, inflation is spurring urban St. Louis homeowners to turn their small backyards into chicken coops.
KMOX visited one family raising a flock -- nesting amid the brick bungalows of a South City neighborhood.
Jamila Pittman has been keeping hens for six years and has learned to speak their language. She knows when they want a snack -- they'll "knock" on the back door. They cluck softly as she gives them the sunflower treat, but call out when she stops.
City born and raised, Jamila grew up in Bevo Mill not far from where she lives now. She didn't have chickens growing up, but developed a passion for naturalism and agriculture while working for Monsanto and Bayer.
She wanted a more sustainable lifestyle. "People would actually be surprised how many folks are into having chickens as pets." Her family's girls are for laying, not for frying, "Chickens have a lot of personality. They are very smart creatures. They talk to you, if you will. They let me know if something's wrong, if they're hungry. Some of them interact in ways similar to a dog. So that gets kind of hard to have to cull them."
While the rewards of backyard chickens have been worth it, Pittman wishes she had known how difficult it would be finding veterinary care, and how costs for that care can add up. Her hens have been attacked by dogs, wild animals, and have suffered illness.
So if you get chickens, it's pretty much on you to do your research and make sure you know how to properly care for them and prepare for the worst.
Do the neighbors ever complain? No, says Pittman, and she sweetens the deal with the gift of eggs. Overall the birds more than pay for themselves, not only with the eggs they produce, but also because they eat pests, aerate the lawn and garden, and provide fertilizer.
Pittman adds, if you have a real interest in backyard chickens, there's a supportive community in St. Louis to help you get started.
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