ORLANDO, Fla. — Not sure how he does it, but Seminole County resident Michel Thibault can identify all seven of his chickens by name.

“That one over there, her name is Lucy,” Thibault said. “Then we have Princess.”

But he can, and he enjoys all the eggs they can produce, which is one a day by each chicken.

Despite the time and money invested to have a healthy flock, Michel has no regrets.

“Be excited,” he said to anyone considering purchasing chickens. “This is fun. It is not work.”

Michel, who began his quest to harvest his own eggs at the start of the pandemic, admits it was a learning process along the way. He also has invested over $1,000 to be able to do it.

“At the beginning I was almost afraid of touching them,” Thibault admitted. “It was like 'wow is it a pet? Or what is it exactly'?”

Michel Thibault feeds his seven chickens in his Seminole County backyard. Michel started his chicken coop during the pandemic. (Spectrum News/Asher Wildman)

What it is is a way to put food on the table from new members of the family.

“I need eggs for cooking, so after I got the chicken my challenge was how to use the eggs?"  the chicken owner smiled. “Because I am not so much a good cook.”

And if you think the new acoustics from Michel’s backyard would upset the neighbors, guess again.

He says they have had no complaints, and especially love the perks of receiving free eggs.

With Orange County’s new ordinance, roosters are not allowed. Chickens can cluck away.

Meanwhile in Seminole County, Michel continues to have fun with his coop and chickens right in his back yard.

If you are considering buying chickens for eggs, it's important to select the right chicken. There are layers and broilers. Layers are the ones that can produce one egg a day.​