Good news, urban farmers!

Backyard chickens could soon have a permanent home to roost in Orlando now that the City Council has — by a 5-1 vote — given initial approval to an “urban chickens” program.

Backyard chickens could soon have a permanent home to roost in Orlando.

On Monday, the City Council by a 5-1 vote gave initial approval to make permanent the city’s “urban chickens” program, which allows residents to keep hens for eggs in backyard coops. It launched as a pilot in 2012 and has since been extended twice. A final vote is expected Oct. 10. “I’ve been working on this for four years now … some of my colleagues had some concerns about sanitation and different things like that, but backyard chicken programs are in all large cities,” said District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan.

District 2 Commissioner Tony Ortiz voted no, explaining that community leaders in his district said they didn’t want backyard fowl.

The urban chickens program allows households to keep up to four hens, after taking a chicken care class and receiving a permit. Currently, the program is only available to residents in four of the city’s six districts, and permits are capped at 75 households.

If approved by the City Council next month, residents in all six districts could participate. It would also increase the cap, allowing up to 100 households to receive permits. So far, 64 homes have participated in the program. Only hens are permitted, no roosters.

The program emerged from the so-called locavore movement, which encourages people to grow their own food. Mayor Buddy Dyer said the expanded chicken program is one way for the city to “diversity our local food economy.” Participating homes haven’t drawn any complaints, officials say.