The Benefits Of Raising Chickens

Chickens are a one-of-a-kind pet to raise in the backyard. Unlike many of the popular pets such as fish, cats, and dogs they produce food. This makes owning chickens pay in the long run as a source of poultry meat and eggs. On top of that the eggs and meat produced will be a higher grade over store bought food and can be organic, cage-free, or anything else you wish for just a fraction of the cost.

Organic Eggs - If you have ever seen or bought organic and/or cage-free eggs you know that get expensive. When I was buying store brand organic cage-free eggs I was paying over 3 times the price as the regular eggs on the shelf. Raising chickens organically is quite easy and cost effective. All you will need is to supply your chickens with organic feed and let them graze on grass.

If you are not too concerned about organic foods than let me just add one quick thought. Chickens who are fed an organic diet, allowed to roam freely, and graze on grass have been shown to lay eggs with higher levels of Vitamin E and Omega-3 while reducing the amount of cholesterol content. Chickens, as with most animals, evolved on a balance diet of variety not uniform grain.

The Personalities of Chickens - If you enjoy the company of pets and other animals you will have certainly noticed that their personalities can vary as much as humans. Chickens are just as unique. Each of your chickens will have a personality all to themselves. You will be tempted to spend hours petting and spoiling them. Not to mention showing them off to your friends and neighbors. Chickens are also pleasing to look at. Each chicken will have a plumage of varying colors and patterns.

Environmentally Responsible - Chickens can help you provide an eco-friendly backyard. This is because chickens love to roam around grazing while they gladly eat garden pests and help keep the lawn short. This prevents the need for chemical pesticides and decreases the amount of lawn care. On top of that chickens turn everything they eat into an organic fertilizer that they spread around the yard. Chickens and worms are some of the most efficient producers of black gold, which eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers. All that is needed from you is some daily care and free evenings to sit and enjoy watching them.

Many people do not realize that chickens can eat almost anything people can eat. This includes left over foods. You should take caution in feeding them strong flavors such as onions and garlic as this can affect the taste of their eggs. Also processed foods and other unhealthy foods are just as bed for chickens as they are for you and will degrade their eggs and meat.

Low-Maintenance - If you feel dogs and cats are worth the effort to have around then chickens should be no problem. If properly setup chickens will be very low-maintenance. All they really need is for someone to keep the food topped off each day and the water fresh. When the chickens are old enough to begin laying eggs than their eggs will need to be collected each day. Finally, their coop will need to be cleaned every few days and the bedding should be change every few weeks. This schedule will depend on the weather and the ratio of chickens to space in the coop.