Salem City Council voted Monday night — in a rare split vote — to allow chickens in the yards of single-family homes in the city, legitimizing the numerous people already keeping chickens and allowing others to join them.

The 4-1 vote came after a long public hearing during which only residents in favor of keeping chickens spoke. They thanked the city for legalizing chickens but at the same time questioned the ordinance for limiting the number of birds they may keep and containing language they worried amounted to a violation of the Fourth Amendment right against illegal search and seizure.

To read the rest of the Roanoke Times story by Matt Chittum, click here.