BEVERLY HILLS—"Mad City Chickens: The Return of the Urban Backyard Chicken," is a must see DVD for chicken lovers, those who may want to raise chickens and anyone interested in a documentary about the exciting hobby of raising chickens in the city and suburbs. Those of us who are from the rural areas of the world know all about farm animals. Growing up, I had acres to run and play on and many farm animals to raise and learn about. But for today’s society where most people either live in cities, towns or the suburbs, this DVD is a must see.

Documentary filmmakers Tashai Lovington and Robert Lughai make "Mad City Chickens" entertaining as well as informative. They interview some of the most fascinating and well known chicken hobbyists in America and manage to educate the novice poultry raiser as well as those of us who have extensive knowledge in raising fowl.

Each chapter has a distinct bit of advice and teaches in a very simple yet informative manner. I was told about "Mad City Chickens" by a friend Fred Dunn, who I believe made the best information based DVD on chickens so far. Fred’s DVD is called Regarding Chickens and can be purchased at FredsFineFowl.com. He couldn’t speak enough about "Mad City Chickens" and when I received a copy from the producers I realized what he found so amazing about it. Chapter one is the Introduction of chickens, Chapter six incorporates what local ordinances some will have to face in order to raise chickens in their backyard if their city council is not prepared for this hobby and Chapter sixteen deals with the dreaded Bird Flu we’ve all become aware of in the last few years, but explains the dangers are very minimal and few.

Lovington and Lughai manage to not only educate and entertain, but they also inspire people to want to go out and learn how to raise chickens. But not just people who live on farmland or in rural areas and regions of the world. This is factually based on people in cities and towns who manage to enjoy a small backyard chicken flock on a small budget. Some of these enthusiasts only have a few chickens, many have only hens. It’s very hard to get a neighbor to appreciate the crowing of a rooster at daybreak or earlier if he or she doesn’t share your love for this species of bird.

"Mad City Chicken" is taking the world by storm. It has become a favorite DVD to view at home amongst families and friends. Some libraries and small town theaters are finding an audience for it as well.

With Americans trying to find safe food sources and organic markets, making great strides while many other markets and industries are failing, it’s no wonder that people are now looking for ways to raise their own food. Nothing is more delicious or nutritious than raising ones own eggs. The yolks of free range chickens are very rich in nutrients and yet have been scientifically proven to consist of less bad cholesterol than eggs from “factory” raised fowl. It’s also much more humane to raise a few chickens in your backyard for the family’s eggs than purchasing them in the stores where the chickens are caged in inhumane conditions and are only on the earth to produce eggs. As shown in Chapter Twenty One, Consuela’s New Home, a wonderful lady rescues and adopts a hen that was discarded by a factory farmer and Consuela, the chicken joins a new adoptive home and lives her life out producing an egg a day to a family that makes her part of the family unit. It became a front page story in the Mid West American town where it occurred.

Unlike many documentaries on DVD, "Mad City Chicken" has a list of special features which include: The Making of "Mad City Chickens" featurette, information on building a coop, deleted scenes and interviews and an alternate beginning. And yes, much more. I’m always interested in finding people who can make an animal’s life easier and benefit their own family as well. When watching a special family for a year build and instill responsibility in their children’s lives by teaching them how to care for their pet chickens, it brought back great childhood memories of my own. This is surely a DVD that any animal lover will enjoy and even learn from. This DVD is one of the most entertaining and informative documentaries I’ve seen in years.

Children of all ages including those of us past forty will enjoy and be educated by this production. "Mad City Chickens" is produced by Trazod Productions and is available at: tarazod.com/filmsmadchicks.html.