Keeping a small flock of chickens in your backyard has many benefits, from supplying you with fresh, healthy eggs from well-cared-for animals, to giving you great fertilizer for gardening. Chickens make lively, charismatic pets and are part of the drive to local, sustainable food systems.
There's something about the continual chatter and habits of chickens
that many people report bring them an intense feeling of calmness and
satisfaction. It's no wonder they're often an integral part of folks'
gardens. Chickens can easily find food on their own if you let them
free range. They help to keep pests away, pull out weeds from vacant
veggie beds, and add fertilizer to the soil.
Keeping a backyard flock is a great way to supplement your home grown
food as well as turn waste to compost. They'll eat mostly anything,
including meat (they're the closest decendent of the T-rex after all),
and turn it to manure. Keep in mind, though, that they're a favorite
pray of coyotes, hawks, foxes, racoons, weasels, and many other common
predators. Best to keep them well protected!
Many backyard chicken keepers report that their eggs are
far superior to any you'd find at a store. Because
backyard chickens often have a robust diet of micronutrient-filled
greens, varied proteins, and an assortement of kitchen and garden
scraps, the yolks of their eggs are much darker and the consistency
much richer. Even if your local laws don't allow for roosters, that
hens don't need one to lay eggs. Different breeds can lay
different color eggs, from white all the way to blue, green, and even
chocolate brown. Other breeds are known for speckles, and others still
their ability to lay eggs nearly every single day! Treat your chickens
well and they will provide you with many delicious eggs.
If any of these facts intrigued you click the button below to start
your own flock. To ask questions, learn more, and get started, please
visit
backyardchickens.com.
