Chickens have become the mascot of the local food movement. A desire for sustainable, clean, wholesome food and superior soil quality has led more and more suburban and city dwellers to keep laying hens in their backyards and gardens.

City Chicks is not just another book about chickens, although it does describe how to keep micro-flocks of laying hens. It has the ambitious intent of exploring three subjects: urban agriculture systems, recycling food and yard waste, and using local resources to preserve and enhance the environment.

This is a book that sees chicken-raising as much more than an avian hobby interest. It's a book for our times.