Backyard chickens in Salt Lake City, Utah.

My sister, Elaina, called me on the phone yesterday to announce the arrival of three chickens at her Salt Lake City home. She and her husband, Matt, have talked about raising chickens for a while now. They just moved to the chicken-friendly capital city of Utah, and decided to give it a try.

 Elaina and Matt also have three children, Ethan, Aurora, and Emmeline, who are excited about the opportunity to learn about chickens and keep them as pets.

I asked Elaina to send me some photographs of the chickens via email. Here is her amusing response as she describes this new dynamic, adding livestock to the family:

"I'll take more photos once the coop is in.  The white Brahma in the corner, behind the chain link, stays there much of the time. Matt's concerned that she is lethargic. She is Ethan's chicken. The Sussex (black/brown) is my favorite, though Aurora has claimed her. The all white Delaware is Emmy's. Now, I am a control freak. I don't like the names the children have chosen. We'll have to see what becomes of this. Emmy's is Vanilla; Aurora's is Cookies and Cream and Ethan hasn't named his. I don't like ice cream flavors for names!"

Ice-cream-flavored chickens in Salt Lake City, Utah.