If you're one of the many Hudson Valley residents who are raising chickens in your backyard as a pet or for environmental reasons, your days may be numbered.

The Daily Freeman reports that Ulster Town officials are being asked to consider a new law that would ban homeowners from keeping chickens and roosters in their yards. The request has come from residents who see the livestock as a nuisance.

There has been a backyard chicken boom over the past few years, with homeowners in suburban neighborhoods equipping their homes with outdoor chicken coops. The craze has proven to be more than a fad. Chicken owners say that there are many benefits to keeping the animals.

While egg prices continue to be on the rise because of the bird flu epidemic, some see owning a chicken as an endeavor that pays for itself. Others keep the animals because they love to eat ticks. Keeping a few chickens in your backyard can clean out colonies of the insects that carry lyme disease and other parasites. And of course, there is the pet factor. Parents who own chickens say that their children love taking care of them, and it teaches them valuable lessons about nature and responsibility.

If some residents in the Town of Ulster have their way, however, backyard chicken enthusiasts will have to give up their animals. Supervisor James Quigley told the Freeman that there will be a draft law presented during the next Town Board meeting on August 20. If you're a chicken enthusiast, you'll probably want to make sure you're there.

More From WRRV-WRRB