The Urban Chicken Culture

UX: The Urban Chicken Culture

Urban chicken farming is a practice of keeping chickens in one's backyard, usually in an urban setting, although some urban chickens can be found in a suburban environment. In Kansas City, Missouri, the urban chicken community is small but growing, quietly dispersed across both sides of the Missouri River. Because of strict city ordinances against chickens, mostly on the Kansas side, raising backyard hens has been troublesome. Despite the obstacles, families decide to keep them with supportive neighbors who benefit from receiving fresh eggs.

Those who keep chickens in Kansas City believe in the local food movement. They believe in a sustainable food source, but they also believe in familial interaction. It's important for many who own their own chickens to teach their children about the cycle of life and the ethical treatment of animals. On the surface level, it's about fresh eggs, fun family pets, and a happy garden. On a deeper level, it's about a sustainable way of living, an ethical and personal responsibilty for where food comes from, and a civil disobedience towards an uniformed municipal.