Hundreds in Palatine sign petition asking to allow backyard chickens
Mallory Miller and her daughter Inde Mazza, 9, are among supporters of a growing initiative to bring backyard hens to Palatine.
Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
Updated 7/30/2021 7:15 PM
Nine-year-old Inde Mazza of Palatine learned about caring for chickens while attending Montessori schools and spending a week every year on a farm downstate.
"They are omnivorous and they will eat just about anything," Inde said. "My favorite reason (to have chickens) is that they are really fun to play with. ... If they are really fast, it's kind of like playing tag."
Inde's mother, Mallory Miller, also has become a fan of chickens. They make good pets, their eggs are fresher than those at the grocery store, they reduce waste by eating food scraps, and they reduce demand on factory farm eggs, where conditions are terrible, Miller said.