"backyard chickens" news and stories

• When it comes to chowder, you need the right clams. And for the right clams, Bostonians depend on this guy.
• If you fork over $20 for a burger, exactly what are you getting? This had better be more than just a prime cut.
• Don't call this classic white, flaky fish, "trash." Hake is good eating, and the best seafood bargain now.
• Want local eggs? How about really, really local eggs? We're talking your backyard and a Rent-a-Coop.

On Monday night, 75 people piled into a Kansas City, Mo., church to catch a free screening of "Mad City Chickens," a documentary from Tarazod Films that chronicles the resurgence of the urban chicken.

Unfortunately, like many U.S. cities, Kansas City makes it nearly impossible to have even just a few hens in the backyard. Chickens are only considered legal residents if their coop is 100 feet from the nearest home or business; they're certainly not allowed to roam. But the more people focus on eating locally, the more chickens pop up in backyards all over the United States (and Kansas City for that matter), legal or not.

Up until a few years ago, Madison, Wis., ("Mad City") banned urban chickens, forcing more than a few rogue backyard farmers -- known then as "the Chicken Underground" -- to get the law changed ... if they wanted to keep their chickens, that is. Now Madison is a veritable backyard chicken oasis, and serves as the backdrop for "Mad City Chickens."

Read about Big Tiny the rooster and Consuela the hen after the jump.