GREENSBORO -- A Greensboro couple is hoping to change a city ordinance that says they can't have a chicken coop in their backyard.

The couple has three urban chickens but because of their small yard size, they're unable to comply with city regulations about where the coop is on their property.

The chickens -- Eleanor Roosevelt and Dolly Madison -- are, in their owners opinions, just as important to the first ladies they are named after.

“A lot of people say the problem with chickens is that they are dirty and smelly and loud. Compared with dogs they are none of those,” said Amy Williams, an urban chicken advocate.

Passionate environmentalist, Williams and her boyfriend keep the hens for eggs free of antibiotics and hormones.

“We first tried fresh eggs and we were like, ‘wow, this is an amazing difference,’” Williams said.

But the couple may no longer be able to keep the birds. That's because the city of Greensboro says their chicken coop is in violation of a zoning ordinance. It says the shelter has to be at least 50 feet away from the property line.

“And our backyard is only 75-feet wide,” said Williams. “So there is no possible way we can have a coop.”

“The zoning ordinances generally try to deal with the impacts of use of one property on other properties. And so this is a general standard that tries to put separation between a property line and someone else’s land,” said Dick Hills at the Greensboro Planning Department.

Hills admits, each case is different, but the guidelines in this single provision are meant to protect the respective property owners.

“It tries to strike a balance about keeping certain types of animals and livestock in residential districts,” Hills said.

This isn't the first time this issue has been raised. In Chapel Hill, supporters petitioned the town council for a more flexible code that would allow hens within the 30-feet setback regulation. Council members unanimously passed the petition along to the town manager for consideration. Something Williams hopes will happen in Greensboro.

“A lot of the cities have a limit of about six hens, which I think is a fine number for a family to live on,” Williams said.

And a right she's willing to fight for. The couple moved their chickens out to a family farm; in the meantime they say they'll work to change the ordinance, a process which could take several months.