Urban Chickens

The urban chicken craze is undeniable.  In the past two weeks alone I've read articles on urban chicken coops in at least five mainstream magazines and newspapers, including the Washington Post. Apparently, chickens do not require much space, are easy and inexpensive to maintain, and control pests in the garden. A hen lays about an egg a day, so you only need to keep about three to five chickens if you want a dozen fresh and delicious eggs a week. The Wrangler thinks he could stamp out world hunger by giving each person a chicken.

Many cities, including New York City, allow backyard chicken coops. Ordinances typically limit the number of chickens and impose maintenance and fencing requirements. Roosters, which are fairly noisy, often are prohibited. However, a rooster is not necessary (you don't want the eggs fertilized) if you're keeping chickens for the fresh eggs and not for the meat.  

Our neighbor keeps chickens. We see them outside scratching around in the garden in the mornings and early afternoon. The coop is cute and appears to have an ocean view. This is Laguna Beach, after all.