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Q. Dear Umbra,

Have you heard of the underground backyard chicken movement, and would you recommend it for people who want chickens, regardless of city ordinances?

Denine Westminster (no state specified, maybe to protect innocent chickens)

Don your feathered fedora, pull it low over your eyes, and let’s venture into the subterranean realm of secret backyard chicken coops. (Perhaps they will be the new speakeasies.)

First, anyone interested in the issue should peruse this immensely thorough and useful piece by Jill Richardson about getting your city to allow backyard chickens. She dispenses great advice about how to investigate your area’s laws, gather pro-chicken allies under your wing, and eventually approach your city council.

And yes, if at first you don’t succeed, Richardson says, “Civil disobedience might be the right way to move the issue forward in your city, as legalizing backyard chickens becomes much more pressing a question once several families have backyard flocks in violation of the law.” Agreed! We can’t all be Tim DeChristopher (bless him!)-and taking a stance on backyard chickens may be your own brave form of peacefully challenging a law you see as unjust.