Includes bibliographical references.

Flock Frenzy: The Rise of Backyard Chickens -- Biking for the Birds: Silicon Valley's Tour de Coop -- Urban Agriculture: When Chickens Come to Town -- A Freegan Flock: Dumpster Diving and Limiting Waste -- Pampered Poultry: Designer Chickens and the People Who Love Them -- Fowl Feast: What Can and Does Go Wrong -- Eating Bugs for the Environment: The Chickens and I Share a Meal -- Productive Pets: The Rise of Broilers -- Slaughterhouse in the Backyard: Culling Hens -- Waste Not, Want Not: The Offal Truth -- After Harvest: To Get to the Other Side.

""Chickens are a lot more mainstream than veganism and a little bit like kombucha: super weird twenty years ago, now somewhat popular and made even more so by logos, brands, and hashtags." So begins Gina Warren's deep-dive into the backyard chicken movement. Digging into its history and food politics, she provides a highly personal account of the movement's social and cultural motivations, the regulations it faces, and the ways that chicken owners build community. Weaving together interviews with urban agriculture advocates, entrepreneurs such as a $225 per hour "chicken consultant," animal rights campaigners, and a fabulous cross-section of chicken enthusiasts, Warren sheds light on Americans' complex relationship with animals-as guardians, companions, and eaters-and what it means to be a conscious eater. As Warren chronicles her own misadventures raising chickens, her pursuit of what's best for her own flock leads past chicken tutus and gourmet chicken treats and into serious attempts at sustainable eating, such as cooking insects and dumpster diving. The result is a fresh and charming story that speaks to backyard chicken owners, while also raising questions about sustainable farming, industrial agriculture, and our connections with the animals we love"-- Provided by publisher.

Issued also in electronic format.