While generally not profitable, families who raise urban livestock find satisfaction in the work.

Some urban livestock become more like pets, such as the lucky occupant of this custom-made chicken stroller.

Many kinds of animals can be used as urban livestock.  Horses, sheep, llamas, and even more exotic animals can be maintained given a large enough property.  However, smaller animals such as chickens are more popular primarily due to their size and the comparatively small amount of space that they require.  

People enjoy raising urban livestock for a variety of reasons.  While some state ideas about "returning to nature" and reestablishing a connection with nature, often motives are much more concrete.  The nutrition provided by eggs, milk, and meat from backyard animals are often the primary reason.  Some families turn a profit from their work, while others focus more on what their children can learn from participating in the process.  The picture to the left shows a girl who raises her family's chickens and sells the eggs herself.  

Practices such as this can be a great way of letting a child earn their allowance, as well as teaching valuable skills about work and management at an early age.

These animals  often become more like pets.  While still usually living outside in coops or barns, becoming connected to the animals they raise is a common experience for these families.  After an ordinance changed in their area, forcing a family to give up their chickens, the mother explained that, “Both my kids cried; I couldn’t even look at them as [the chickens] were leaving.”[1]