Once upon a time only farmers kept hens, but as the credit crunch continues, more and more town dwellers are seeing the benefits of having a regular supply of their own fresh eggs.
Hen breeders are seeing an upsurge in people buying chickens, as they discover the taste of home produced eggs is far superior to what they get in the supermarket.
People want to know what their hens have been fed and how they've been looked after, and on top of that is the potential to save a load of cash, especially when free range eggs cost so much more in the shops.
So what do you have to shell out to start keeping your own? Feeding, watering and cleaning out involves your time of course, but a good hen costs around £10/$20 each and will lay a couple of eggs a day, providing cracking breakfasts for many years.
The welfare of battery hens has been highlighted by several TV chefs recently, some of whom were reduced to tears by the state of the poor creatures. So for those of us wanting to make a stand for animal rights, keeping your hens is a great way to put your money where your mouth is.
Fox attacks are a hazard, even in town, so be prepared to lock up your feathered friends at night, or at least keep them in a very secure enclosure.
You should also be aware that the recent celebrity exposure about bird welfare and resulting increase in numbers of people keeping their own, has lead to spates of hen thefts. So keep the enclosure secure from human thieves as well as the furry variety. Because hen keeping is getting very popular there is a developing black market as a result, to meet demand.
There are some good sites and hen keeping courses; research and training are recommended before you take on any new animal.
