Leading Bird Flu Expert Dr. Michael Greger added to MCC

We are thrilled to announce that we met this morning with Michael Greger, M.D., Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at The Humane Society of the United States. Dr. Greger is a leading avian influenza expert and author of the book Bird Flu. He spoke on camera for nearly 35 minutes discussing the H5N1 virus that has been so prevalent in the news of late.
Dr. Greger confirmed the information that has been put forth by many of the other chicken experts in our Mad City Chickens film…namely, that chickens kept in cramped, overstressed unnatural conditions, the conditions found on many of the so-called factory farms, are the ones most likely to contract this virus. In addition, he made it clear that the keeping of small flocks of pastured birds, birds that are kept outside in the sun and wind, are not a danger.

Special thanks to Lisa Cross, the Pandemic Influenza Emergency Preparedness Coordinator of the Central Michigan District Health Department for all her help in working out the interview location and details.

Additional thanks go to Cheryl Long, Editor-in Chief Mother Earth News, Tabitha Alterman, Associate Editor Mother Earth News, and Erin Williams of The Humane Society of the United States for their assistance in setting up initial contact with Dr. Greger.

Interview with Mother Earth News’ Editor-in-Chief

Meeting Cheryl Long, Editor-in-Chief of Mother Earth News, was a true delight! We discussed everything from their pastured-eggs study to new backyard chicken coop designs and from solar panels to wind power. We sampled heirloom herbs from her garden and took a test drive in a new prototype all-electric vehicle. Not only is Cheryl extremely knowledgeable in the realms of natural living and back-to-the-land skills, but she’s also an intelligent, well-spoken individual who is just a pleasure to be around.



We shot over 2.5 hours of footage which we’re very excited about perusing back in the editing room.

Mad City Road Trip to Topeka

Today we drove over 10 hours to Kansas to prepare for our meeting with the Mother Earth News Editor-in-Chief, Cheryl Long. We hope to speak with her about the pastured-eggs study they are currently conducting, a study that is measuring the nutritional levels of eggs from free-range hens as compared to those found in regular supermarkets.

What is this film — Mad City Chickens?

Mad City Chickens—it’s a group of like-minded people, it’s an emerging movement, and it’ll soon be a movie!

In the spring of 2004, Madison, Wisconsin passed a law reflecting a growing trend in municipalities across the country. Single-family homes within the city limits were now able to raise chickens in their backyards. A year later, we started filming.

From the underground to about town, chickens take the city by storm. Backyard poultry owners came out of hiding, and with them the chicken supporters came out of the woodwork. These beautiful birds are celebrated in art, music, and an ever-expanding community.

With over 23 hours of footage shot so far, the project is well into the post-production stage, but we’re not done yet! The film has grown into something more than we originally imagined. Chicken experts speak out, Mother Earth News conducts a study; and the Murray McMurray Hatchery opens its doors to us.

But that’s not all. Any film on chickens would not be complete without a mad scientist and a runaway polka band on the back of a pick-up truck. We couldn’t resist adding a bit of fictional storyline to the mix.

Pastured Eggs and Mother Earth News

The editors of Mother Earth News magazine have agreed to a video interview. Sweet! They are conducting a fascinating study on the nutritional content of eggs from pastured hens. Looks like we will be road-tripping to Topeka in the near future!