Are you thinking about getting chickens in 2021? Here are five top benefits that backyard chickens will bring into your life. We hope these reasons will encourage you to join the urban agriculture movement and keep backyard hens!
1. Delicious Eggs. Your hen’s eggs, with their delicious, deep-yellow yolks, will taste fresher and better than eggs from the grocery store. For those of you who have never had a really fresh egg, a pleasant experience awaits you!
2. Fun and Fascinating Pets. You will discover that, far from the TV portrayal of most chickens as loud and feisty, chickens are actually calm and have their own personalities. Your flock might include an extrovert, a singer, a clown, or a shy, sensitive type. It is always a joy to watch them grow from small, fluffy chicks into gangly teenagers, and finally into mature laying hens. The first egg is a huge milestone in your chicken keeping endeavor!
3. Humane Farming. Providing the right coop, feed, and care will help your backyard chickens thrive. Most eggs in the supermarket come from hens that are not able to scratch in the dirt, sit in the sun, or dust bathe. Hens that have the opportunity to engage in normal behaviors, including searching for food and soaking up the sun, lay better-tasting, more nutritious eggs. Your backyard coop will be part of the movement toward local, sustainable agriculture.
4. Nature Education. Raising chickens is an opportunity for you and your children to observe the life cycle up close. Caring for an animal helps children develop empathy and responsibility, and raising chickens for eggs will help your children learn about how food is produced.
5. Gardening Partners. Your chickens can actively contribute to your garden by scratching for worms, grubs, and other tiny critters. This will help till the soil in your garden plot and turn your compost heap. In addition, chicken droppings contain ammonia, which breaks down into nitrogen, a powerful natural fertilizer, in 6 to 8 months. You’ll need to age your chicken poop 6 to 8 months in a compost bin, however, to allow this natural process to take place.
As you’re thinking about getting chickens, consider these benefits. We hope these reasons will encourage you to get your own backyard hens.
Home to Roost 