It's early morning one day while you're out for a morning walk in your neighborhood. As you enjoy the early risers singing their songs, the cool breeze and the tranquility of it all before the day truly begins. In the distance, you hear a distinct “Cock-a-doodle doo!” “Is that a rooster?”, you say to yourself. Later in the day you'll hear more distinctive clucking and singing, and sure enough, one of your neighbors raises chickens in town. Previously thought to be only rural animals, chickens are increasingly being raised in urban settings as people move towards self-sustainability, but this has not come without opposition. Although chickens can be noisy and messy, with proper care they are a valuable resource for those who want to control where their food comes from, prevent animal cruelty and reap the benefits of keeping them for their gardens. Chickens are a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the world of agriculture and become more connected to the food we eat. Humans have been raising chickens for over 5,000 years. (Bloom 14) My experience raising chickens began when I was thirteen. My grandfather, who lived on a farm, had taken me with him on a trip to the local hatchery. While he was sorting through most of the birds he bought that day, I found a chick I liked and he bought it for me thinking it could live on the farm with the rest of the birds. I finally brought her home (to the city) and my urban chicken raising adventure began. Although I initially started with bantams, or miniature chickens, and my birds were pets, my flock has evolved into not only pets, but also excellent egg producers. There's nothing better than a fresh egg for breakfast. Fried, scrambled or in an omelette... middle of paper... in rural areas. As more people turn to self-sustaining, urban chickens reduce the demand for commercially farmed eggs by providing their owners with abundant, nutritionally superior eggs and providing numerous benefits to their gardens. Provided the chicken keeper is willing to care for their flock, chickens can be delightful neighbors if given the chance to do so. Works cited "Birds in intensive farming". ASPCA. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. nd Web. 9 April 2014. Bloom, Jessie. Free Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful Chicken-Friendly Yard. Portland: Timber Press, 2012. Print.Long, Cheryl and Tabitha Alterman. “Meet real free-range eggs.” News from Mother Earth. Ogden Publications Inc. October/November 2007. Web. April 9, 2014. Slucher, Laura. Urban chickens. eSurveysPro. Survey. Network. April 14-16 2014.