The reasons for keeping backyard chickens are many and varied, ranging from the entirely practical to the ethical and philosophical.
Here are some of the main reasons you might like to keep chickens: Food This is likely the most obvious reason people keep chickens.
You can't beat having a steady supply of healthy fresh eggs right in your own backyard.
You know what your chickens are eating, and you know that they're being treated well, so you know that the eggs your family is eating are the healthiest they can be.
It's probably not for most urban or suburban chicken keepers, but backyard chickens can also provide a source of healthy antibiotic-free meat.
Education The knowledge of where food comes from has largely been lost in the modern world.
By keeping backyard chickens, you can help your children to understand and appreciate the value of living things, and the importance of raising animals ethically.
The chicken coop will also encourage the children outside into the backyard on a daily basis, and they'll learn the responsibility of watering and feeding their chickens.
Garden If you're serious about gardening, chickens have a lot to offer.
Their manure and old bedding straw will turbo-charge your compost pile, providing a rich soil amendment for your garden.
The chickens can also be allowed to free-range: either across the whole yard or confined to specific areas with temporary fencing.
Let into garden beds at the end of the season, they'll scratch over the soil, eating weeds seeds and garden pests as they go, reducing the amount of work you'll need to do.
Entertainment One of the big surprises for me in getting back into chicken keeping was the discovery that different chickens had very distinct personalities.
I could sit for hours watching their daily social interactions, and the frenzy of excitement when you throw a treat into their pen has to be seen to be believed.
Some breeds of chicken are highly ornamental, and make a showy addition to your garden.
Environment We've all seen images of chickens in battery cages and barns - one of the best things you can do for them is to opt out of the factory-farmed egg system entirely.
Your food will be hyper-local and fresh, produced by healthy happy animals.
Chickens can help reduce your household waste, too - they'll happily devour your kitchen scraps, as well as trimmings, spoiled fruit and spent plants from your vegetable garden.
Even fall leaves, lawn trimmings and other yard waste can be put in the chicken pen.
They'll hunt through it for insects and seeds, turning it over, breaking it down and adding manure until you're left with a lovely pile of rich compost.
Money High-quality eggs are expensive to purchase at the supermarket, but producing your own in your backyard is very easy and cost-effective.
People love to receive a gift of fresh backyard eggs, making them a valuable barter item around the neighborhood.
And don't forget the monetary value of the other services they're giving you - pest and weed control, waste recycling, fertilizer, entertainment, education, etc.
Chickens are a fascinating and unique animal to keep.
Unlike most other pets, chickens will pay their own way.
They are easy to look after, and will bring many rewards to your family.
Here are some of the main reasons you might like to keep chickens: Food This is likely the most obvious reason people keep chickens.
You can't beat having a steady supply of healthy fresh eggs right in your own backyard.
You know what your chickens are eating, and you know that they're being treated well, so you know that the eggs your family is eating are the healthiest they can be.
It's probably not for most urban or suburban chicken keepers, but backyard chickens can also provide a source of healthy antibiotic-free meat.
Education The knowledge of where food comes from has largely been lost in the modern world.
By keeping backyard chickens, you can help your children to understand and appreciate the value of living things, and the importance of raising animals ethically.
The chicken coop will also encourage the children outside into the backyard on a daily basis, and they'll learn the responsibility of watering and feeding their chickens.
Garden If you're serious about gardening, chickens have a lot to offer.
Their manure and old bedding straw will turbo-charge your compost pile, providing a rich soil amendment for your garden.
The chickens can also be allowed to free-range: either across the whole yard or confined to specific areas with temporary fencing.
Let into garden beds at the end of the season, they'll scratch over the soil, eating weeds seeds and garden pests as they go, reducing the amount of work you'll need to do.
Entertainment One of the big surprises for me in getting back into chicken keeping was the discovery that different chickens had very distinct personalities.
I could sit for hours watching their daily social interactions, and the frenzy of excitement when you throw a treat into their pen has to be seen to be believed.
Some breeds of chicken are highly ornamental, and make a showy addition to your garden.
Environment We've all seen images of chickens in battery cages and barns - one of the best things you can do for them is to opt out of the factory-farmed egg system entirely.
Your food will be hyper-local and fresh, produced by healthy happy animals.
Chickens can help reduce your household waste, too - they'll happily devour your kitchen scraps, as well as trimmings, spoiled fruit and spent plants from your vegetable garden.
Even fall leaves, lawn trimmings and other yard waste can be put in the chicken pen.
They'll hunt through it for insects and seeds, turning it over, breaking it down and adding manure until you're left with a lovely pile of rich compost.
Money High-quality eggs are expensive to purchase at the supermarket, but producing your own in your backyard is very easy and cost-effective.
People love to receive a gift of fresh backyard eggs, making them a valuable barter item around the neighborhood.
And don't forget the monetary value of the other services they're giving you - pest and weed control, waste recycling, fertilizer, entertainment, education, etc.
Chickens are a fascinating and unique animal to keep.
Unlike most other pets, chickens will pay their own way.
They are easy to look after, and will bring many rewards to your family.
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