Three weeks ago Tom Kaiser and Kristy Barbara built a two metre-high enclosure for their four brown hens in front of their new Alexander Street home in Manly. They had no backyard and the unloved nature strip seemed an ideal option.

A nylon fence shelter was erected on a six by four metre patch and a message scrawled in black marker on the front gate informing everyone that the hens disliked: avocado skins, citrus and onions. Neighbours had been "overwhelmingly positive" about their new street savvy feathered friends, handing over food scraps to Rosie, Penny, Bessy and Boiler and scooping away some of the eggs.

"I kept looking at this patch of bush," Ms Barbara said. "The grass was high, there were broken bottles, and old bags of dog poo. I cleaned it all out, and built the coop."

"I asked my immediate neighbours, and they all said yes."

But the chooks did ruffle the feathers of one resident who began making multiple complaints to Manly Council last week. Now the chook pen is under threat. A council ranger has told Ms Barbara to dismantle the coop because "a drunk person could get inside and hurt themselves".

As a result Ms Barbara has sought council approval for the pen on public land, but has yet to receive a reply. She also launched an online petition to show the council that the "Alexander Street Chooks" were beneficial to the community.

A Manly Council spokeswoman said it was still in the process of making a decision. She said residents should keep chickens in a healthy backyard environment and ensure neighbours were undisturbed.

The rise of "ad hoc" community gardens presented the council new challenges on maintaining order that required a "progressive" approach.

Ms Barbara said chickens were good for the environment. "They will happily eat up food waste and produce something consumable," she said. "They're so low maintenance."

Rosie Sabadine, a long-time resident of Alexander Street, said she failed to understand the fuss.

"The coop is a good idea, it's lovely," the retiree said. "I think of the little chickens when I throw my lettuce leaves."