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FIELD GUIDEUrban Chicken Farming


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Table o Contents

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Introduction

Interviews

Culture Probes

Research

Introduction

Visual Audit

Verbal Audit

Personas

Affinity Diagram

Task Analysis

Analysis

Concluding Thoughts

Diagram

Conclusion

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The Research


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The local ood movement, stemming rom collective eelings o disconnect be-

tween society and ood, has inspired the popular alternative known as urban

chicken arming, the practice o keeping chickens in ones backyard. Usually it

is an urban setting, although some urban chickens can be ound in a suburban

environment. In Kansas City, Missouri, the urban chicken community is small but

growing, quietly dispersed across both sides o the Missouri River. Because o strict

city ordinances against chickens, mostly on the Kansas side, raising backyard hens

has been troublesome. Despite the obstacles, amilies decide to keep them with

supportive neighbors who beneft rom receiving resh eggs.

Those who keep chickens in Kansas City believe in the local ood movement. They

believe in a sustainable ood source, but they also believe in amilial interaction.

Its important or many who own their own chickens to teach their children about

the cycle o lie and the ethical treatment o animals. On the surace level, its

about resh eggs, un amily pets, and a happy garden. On a deeper level, its about

a sustainable way o living, an ethical and personal responsibilty or where ood

comes rom, and a civil disobedience towards an uninormed municipal.

Many cities have been rather prickly about allowing people to raise chickens in

their backyard. Some city governments ear the increase o chickens in residential

areas, arguing that they are sanitation risks, noise makers, and attractors o preda-

torial animals.

Despite the controversy, urban chicken arming is still practiced and continues to

rise in popularity.

the research

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Urban Chicken Farming?


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I do hope my childrenwill take from this.

Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

What kinds of activities are you involved in?

What do you currently do for living?

What got you started on having chickens?

Im from Virginia and my husband is from North Kansas City. We

met in the military actually. Im really not sure how long well be

here before we decide to move out to the country, theres a lot of

inner city violence here.

What appeals to me, is that you know where your egg is comingfrom. I hope that people start having an environmentally con-

scious lifestyle, where recycling becomes another part of your

day rather than something wed like to try out. I do hope my

own children will take from this.

We are a part of our neighborhood association, but no one in our

neighborhood owns chickens (laughs).

Im a stay at home mom. My husband works for UPS. I know

that down the road, I do want to work in environmental studies.

Interview #1


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the research

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Tell us about your coop.

My husband built our coop. He works for UPS so they had a scrap bin that

he dug into and used for the coop. Essentially we repurposed the garbage

into building material and created a double layered coop..

Do your chickens have names?

How do you feel about the city ordinances?

How do your neighbors feel about the chickens?

Think theres a difference in your eggs and the

ones at the store?

Do the kids participate in raising the chickens?

How so?

Any funny chicken stories?

If you were a chickenwhere would you live?

They seem to be onboard with it. We havent gotten complaints, I

think our neighbors have bigger problems to worry about (inner city

violence) than complain about chickens.

One time, I was on the phone with my sister from Virginia while inside

the coop and somehow locked myself in. We built it so that the kids

couldnt climb in or reach it, and my husband was gone so I didnt

know if the chickens would start attacking me or what. One time two

hopped on my back and scared me. I started squawking like a chicken.

Yeah, they like to feed the chickens. And sometimes chase them.

Well, probably out on a farm. Its no fun breathing city air.

Taste-wise, probably not.

I think they limit people from being to live an environmentally con-

scious lifestyle.

We named our chickens after the waitresses of our favorite restau-

rant.


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Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

What kinds of activities are you involved in or

enjoy doing?

What got you started on having chickens?

Tell us about your coop.

Were both from the Kansas City Area.

Kelly: Well, Kevin built it and made it so that itd match the look

of our own home.

Ryan: Yeah, I just used material from Home Depot and put it to-

gether myself.

Ryan: I enjoy spending time with family, building toys, playing guitar,

cooking.Kelly: I love planning parties and d.i.y. type things. I was involved with

the 18th Street Fashion Show here in KCMO. I also enjoy gardening.

Max (7 yrs. old): I like playing video games and drawing. I like picking

up our soft chickens!

Kelly: My cousin had chickens in Boulder, CO. It sounded easy enough,

we want it to be a hobby rather than a huge commitment. We really

like that it brings the family together. It teaches our kids about the

cycle of birth, life, and death.

Interview #2

We really likethat it brings thefamily together.


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Do your chickens have names?

How do you feel about the city ordinances?

How do your neighbors feel about the chickens?

Think theres a difference in your eggs and the

ones at the store?

Do the kids participate in raising the chickens?

How so?

Where do you go for help or questions about your

chickens?

If you were a chickenwhere would you live?

Kelly: Well, at first they seemed wary, but when we offered eggs, they

definitely didnt seem to have a problem with it. They are very onboard

with the chickens.

Ryan: Yeah, none of the neighbors complain, we dont have a rooster so

it isnt noisy.

Weve had the chickens for about three years. One of our first chick-

ens got injured and then eaten by a raccoon, which was really sad.

Another time, one of our chickens got sick and so we took her to a

vet and humanely euthanized her.

Yeah, Max chases them on occasion, but he mostly collects the eggs

out of the coop.

Well, probably out on a farm. Its no fun breathing city air.

Kelly: I dont think so.

Ryan: I cant tell, I mean, the yolks are yellower, so visually, there might

be a difference.

I think people are misinformed about chickens, and we wouldnt

want to live somewhere that didnt allow chickens. They dont realize

that they are very quiet. Once people meet the chickens they realize

that they are really nice and fun to have. And family oriented.

Yep! Bertha, Mable, Frizzle (or Shaniqua)...


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Culture Probes

Keeping backyard chickens involves the whole family. The children are integral because they

actively participate on raising the chickens. These prompts demonstrate their understanding

of urban chicken farming and where their food comes from.


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The Analysis


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the analysis

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After collecting field data on the urban chicken farmers of Kansas city, we ana-

lyzed the results and determined definitive cultural characteristics through the

development of visual and verbal audits, personas, affinity diagram, and task anal-

ysis. These analysis techniques and the secondary research we conducted allowed

us to form conclusions about how urban chicken farming in Kansas City fits within

a national context, which includes political, environmental, and familial aspects.

Analysis Techniques


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A Visual Audit: The Coops


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A Visual Audit: Green Living


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A Visual Audit: Backyard


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Family Community

Ordinance

A piece of legislation created by a municipality or

other local authority. These ordinances often result in

limitations or fines being placed on raising them.

Farmers Market

Local gathering of urban chicken farmers in a legal

setting to sell the extra eggs. It is currently illegal to

sell eggs outside of the market setting because of

regulations put in place by commercial egg farmers.

DIY

Compost

A mixture of various decaying organic substances,

such as dead leaves or manure, used for fertilizing soil.

Chicken waste is a great source of natural fertilizer.

Chicken Plucker

A chicken plucker is a machine that strips the chicken

of feathers without breaking the skin. They are

commonly built using low cost recycled materials.

Coop

A pen where hens are kept. Inside there are often nest

boxes for egg laying and perches on which the birds

can sleep. Often referred to as a hen house.

Verbal Audit

the analysis

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A Verbal Audit

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Ethical Animal Practices

Predator Proof

The practice of safeguarding a chicken coop from

predators. Includes sealing of windows with chicken

wire or welded wire and cementing of base.

Complete Chicken Feed

The primary source of nutrition for chickens. It

is comprised of a variety of nutrients and energy

sources, enhanced with minerals and vitamins

Chicken Tractor

A moveable chicken coop lacking a floor. It is usually

a lightly built A-frame that a person can drag about

the yard easily, allowing the chickens to eat up the

vegetation of one area and move onto the next leaving

behind a fertilized area for regrowth.

Run

An outdoor area where chickens can roam freely,

usually attached to the chicken coop. Under

supervision this allows for the chickens to live freely

the analysis

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the analsyis

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Ethical Animal PracticesVALUES

Local Food

Family

GOALSLegalizing Urban Chicken Farms

Establishing Local Community

Eco-Friendly Living

sand based floor eliminating misconceptions

community gardens social gatherings

balanced diet feed passing on methods

sharing eggs with neighbors finding a channel for communicating

Afnity Diagram

predator proofing fighting city council

farmers market creating an active online community

nostalgia composting

tradition gardening

understanding where food comes from recycling

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porivided humane death for chicken

Sharing with farmers and family

Self designed coop

Hand built coop

Restoring vehicle

TRAITSCompassionate

Giving

Handy

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the analysis

Megan LucasThe Environmentalist

Age: 37

Education: B.S.

Occupation: Horticulturist

Neighborhood: Valentine, KCMO

Hobbies: Gardening, Camping, Biking

Household: Husband & 3 Children

Personas

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the analysis

efcient pragmatic eco-minded

Megan settled down in Kansas city after working as a field research on agriculture. She is an avid gardener, and now

works as a part-time horticulturist. She first purchased her five Rhode Island Red Hens after deciding how beneficial

it would be for her family as a way to access fresh eggs (shes an ovo-lacto vegetarian) and as a learning tool. She and

her husband built their chicken coop out of recycled material found in a garbage dump. One thing she really enjoys

about her chickens is how nutrient filled their waste is, which she puts in her compost that feeds her garden.

She lets her children interact (chase and feed) with the chickens and hopes that one day they will be as eco-minded as

she is, making things like recycling a part of the day rather than just something to try out. Megan is also involved

in her neighborhood association and loves spending time with her kids.

Its important for me to know wheremy familys food is coming from

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the analysis

Lisa AndersonThe Creative

Age: 25

Education: B.A.

Occupation: Interior Designer

Neighborhood: Brookside, KCMO

Hobbies: Baking, Photography Couponing

Household: Fianc

Personas

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the analysis

Lisa was born and raised in Kansas City. She is a full-time interior designer and engaged to her illustrator boy-

friend Mark Finch, who works at Hallmark. When Lisas close friend Trisha Roberts showed Lisa her coop of

chickens, she decided that it looked easy enough to try out herself. Plus, she loved how docile the chickens were

and thought about blogging about them on her blog Tweetheart. After some online searching, she bought a

Silkie hen, Wyandotte hen, and a Delaware hen. She and her fianc built their coop to match their charming

house, where they host many parties with friends.

Lisa enjoys an array of hobbies and loves learning new things. She plays ukele, avidly collects wine, enjoys bak-

ing, and participates in online activities such as instagram, twitter, facebook, and blogger. She likes to document

and share a lot of her daily activities, especially her chickens!

energetic social artistic

I was amazed by the taste of theseeggs, so I decided to try it out

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the analysis

Eco-riendly Living

by ethically practicing urban chicken arming

Obstacles

Goal Goal

Decisions

predatorsneighbor complaints

city ordinances

misinormed publicunsupportive city council

lack o community support

predator proo coopsneighborly gestures

fght city government

inorming publiccreate awareness

recruiting people

Legalizing Urban Chickens

by persistently fghting against city council

Obstacles Decisions

Task Analysis

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Goal

lack o communication channelslack o resources (monies)

lack o connections

using online channels to access other groupsnetworking with more people

joining with other eco-groups

Establish Local Urban Chicken Community

by actively networking through awareness

Obstacles Decisions

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The Conclusion


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Urban chicken farming has been trending steadily since the surge of the local

food movement. More and more familes are finding the benefits of raising these

docile creatures. Its an engaging way to include the whole family while main-

taining an eco-friendly lifestyle. Most of these chicken owners also tend to have

gardens that benefit from having the chickens. Its almost difficult to understand

why some cities ban chickens from suburban settings or make it very difficult to

keep them. Regardless, the practice of owning urban chickens is not thwarted

by these politically motivated efforts; rather it seems more and more people

are fighting the pecking order and seeking the right to own chickens. For urban

chicken farmers, its all about the family.

Why keep those hens?

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Urban Chicken farming is more than raising chickens for their eggs. The people who partake in thishobby care deeply about the environment, their family, and their freedom to raise chickens in their

backyards. This diagram reveals the motivations behind urban chicken farming.

Diagram

Local Food Movement

Urban Chicken Farm

City Ordinances

(in an eggshell)

Family ValuesLiving an eco-friendly lifestyle Fighting for the right to own chickens Teaching children the cycle of life

Environmental Political Societal


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