The Iowa City City Council took its first look at an issue Tuesday night that has been ruffling some residents’ feathers — amending the zoning code to allow hens and roosters to be housed in residential areas.

Councilors said they will now recommend the amendment to the Department of Housing and Inspection Services, the next group to take up the issue. Current zoning does not allow farm animals in any residential area.

While some expressed general support of the idea, not all city officials would like to see these chicks roaming Iowa City streets.

“I do not want to embrace livestock next door,” said Mayor Regenia Bailey.

Councilors Amy Correia and Mike Wright made it clear they disagreed, saying they see positive aspects in housing the feathery animals.

Wright said he researched the subject and found that common complaints, such as smell and noise, aren’t frequent.

If an amendment is made, the city would have specific enforcement standards. A permit and permit fee would be required.

But residents shouldn’t expect to be hatching eggs anytime soon.

Housing and Inspection officials said at the meeting they have concerns about the idea.

Douglas Boothroy, the director of the agency, said in a memo it doesn’t recommend amending the code.

“The permitting of chickens in Iowa City will simply open up a myriad of opportunities for more issues between neighbors,” said Iowa City code-enforcement assistant Jann Ream.

Housing and Inspection Services already receives numerous complaints from neighbors; adding poultry would cause a lot more stir for an already busy staff, Ream said.

Along with the opposing party, Iowa City Animal Services officials have said they do not have the tools to properly monitor the chickens.

“It would be best to do it right, therefore wait a little bit to do it,” said Iowa City Animal Services supervisor Misha Goodman, suggesting the council give the department a year to prepare.

Animal Services dealt with a temporary location since the floods of 2008, which affects its ability to take care of Iowa City animals, officials said.

“It takes us that much longer to deal with the animals we have to deal with,” Goodman said.

If in the future the city does welcome poultry into the area, it wouldn’t be the first town with a Big Ten school to do so.

In 2004, Madison, Wis., passed a law allowing people the right to raise poultry in their homes — with some restrictions, according to city documents. Madison has a population of 231,916 this year; 53 applications were received asking for chicken permits.

After seeing how another college town has dealt with urban chickens, some officials are wondering why Iowa City — nestled in the heart of an agriculture state — doesn’t.

“We’re here in Iowa, so it makes sense,” Correia said.