Love where you live. Sign up for our newsletter

The chickens are coming: a peck inside the growing urban movement

by on Dec 7, 2006

No longer are chickens and their fresh-laid eggs fit only for farmers in the countryside. More and more city-folk are raising their own chickens in home-made backyard coops. These rebels are part of a growing movement of Americans taking chickens and eggs into their own hands. 

Chickens walk around in a chicken cage outside. In 2002, urban chickens started to gain national attention with stories on ABC News online, and local venues like the Mobile Register. Since then the movement has grown. Texas journalist Spike Gillespie wrote a story about having chosen the chicken lifestyle not long after she turned 40. In 2005, a few San Diego chicken keepers started a Yahoo Group online that now has over 180 members. There has never been more encouragement and for the chicken-curious to give in to that rustic impulse.

So why keep chickens in the city? For a lot of reasons. The main one is the eggs, of course. The urban chicken article at the green-living website pathtofreedom.com talks about how useful chickens can be in the garden, weeding and eating nasty insects, but they also make great pets. Apparently, they love to be held and come when called if you raise them from chicks. If they only knew what we do with their less fortunate bretheren.A rooster by a fence is looking into the camera.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *