Why Everyone Should Consider Getting Chickens
I know what you may be thinking, "there is no way I could ever keep chickens". Believe me, I felt the same way! If you would have told me 3 years ago that I would have 12 chickens running around in my backyard, I probably would've said that you were crazy. I thought birds were dirty, that they carried diseases and that they were incredibly difficult to care for. Turns out *most* of that isn't true! I am going to make the case as to why I think any person who can, should own at least a few chickens. Stick with me...
Five Reasons to Keep Chickens
Yes, I am using a children's book to convince you that chickens are indeed worth keeping! To be fair, this children's book is absolutely beautiful and when I came across this page it inspired me to share this post. So in the profound words of the author, here are 5 reasons why chickens are worth keeping:
1. They look very silly when they are taking a dust bath.
Although this isn't necessarily convincing you that chickens aren't dirty, just hang with me. They look hilarious when they fluff their feathers up in the dirt coating themselves in a fine layer of dirt. But you know what is particularly cool? The reason chickens dust themselves is to keep themselves clean and rid themselves of the parasites that tend to afflict them (mites, fleas, etc.) because instinct has taught them that the dust clogs the breathing pores of the parasites, and kills them off. Wow, and they say chickens aren't smart!?
2. They perch in the funniest places.
This could potentially be a con depending exactly where they are perching. But I would venture that 99% of the time looking outside to find a silly chicken perched in an odd place will give you the laugh you most need that day. Chickens are funny creatures and don't let anyone tell you that they don't have personality because they most certainly do! One of the parts I never expected when becoming a backyard chicken farmer was the appreciation and connection you receive from your flock. Connecting to your food source in that way provides as sense of pride and joy that doesn't come from picking up a carton of eggs in your local supermarket.
3. They eat caterpillars on your vegetables and chase flies (which is very funny).
Chickens are amazing pest control! Do you have relentless flies, mosquitoes or ticks during the summer? Are spiders or other creepy crawlies constantly finding their way inside your house? Instead of spraying toxic pesticides like Round Up or glyphosate that have been found to cause cancer, you can employ the non-toxic help of a backyard flock to keep your pest problem at bay. When we were living at our last property, the summer before we had our chickens we were constantly finding ticks on our dogs, kids and ourselves. It was awful! Especially with the risk of tick borne illnesses we wanted a solution to lowering the tick population without harmful pesticides. Little did we know that the problem was going to be entirely resolved simply by our flock of hens!
They can also provide the same service for your spring and summer vegetable gardens. If you're tired of finding opportunistic bugs eating away at your hard earned produce then a backyard flock might be exactly what you need to keep your garden in tip top shape! Beware: chickens do love themselves some tomatoes though so you will have to plan accordingly to keep them from delighting on your harvest.
4. The rooster looks so sweet when he sleeps with his wings around his hens.
This is something we are just now getting to enjoy! We have been keeping hens for a couple of years now but just recently ended up with a couple roosters accidentally after a spontaneous purchase at our local ranch supply store. It was worth it though! We are thrilled to have a couple of "guards" for our ladies now. And the potential for us to raise our own chicks from here on out furthers the growth of our homestead without spending any more money.
5. Collecting eggs from under a hen when they are still warm is wonderful.
I know you might be thinking, "ew, that is weird" or "I don't want to know where my food comes from", but after the last couple of years of uncertainty in our supply chains in our grocery stores due to economic and societal strain should be enough to convince everyone the worthiness of having a source of food to feed your family right in the backyard. Whether that be a seasonal vegetable garden or backyard chickens, I'd argue to say that you can quite easily get over the unusual aspects of it to enjoy the fruitfulness of it. There really isn't anything quite like walking out into the yard, opening up the coop and collecting the colorful bounty of eggs straight from the source. It connects us back to nature, to our ancestral roots and provides and incredible feeling of joy. The thankfulness we feel for our hens is unmatched, they are true providers and we are so grateful to them.
Benefits of Pasture Raised Eggs
Not only are there so many benefits for keeping chickens, there are also health benefits to eating pasture raised eggs. Now what is the difference between regular eggs, cage-free eggs and pasture raised eggs? I am so glad you asked! Regular, factory farmed chickens are typically kept inside of cages one right next to the other with no access to the outdoors, sunlight or grass. Factory farmed chickens are fed a GMO corn based food and live out their lives in squalor the way chickens are never intended to live. Okay, so cage free is better right? Wrong. Cage free simply means they are not kept in cages, they are still confined in small chicken runs with little, if any access to the outdoors and fed a corn based food supplement. So what's the deal with pasture raised? Pasture raised spend 99% of their lives outside, pecking around and foraging for bugs to provide them with necessary nutrients. They have ample access to sunlight, fresh air, bugs, grass and clean water. They are loved and well taken care of and their eggs reflect that. Typically, pasture raised eggs have deep golden, amber colored eggs that are full of beneficial nutrients.
So what is the benefit to eating pasture raised eggs? There are many so I will rapid fire share them to keep this short: higher omega-3 ratios, high quality protein source, incredible source of choline, plus a rich source of selenium, phosphorus, Vitamin B12, Cobalamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and more.
Where Can I Start if I Want to Keep Chickens?
The best place to start is by researching and reading books or articles, just like this one! Chances are if you're reading this then you're likely interested in getting some backyard hens. Below are some of my favorite books for keeping chickens. Also, make sure you check with your specific city/county and state regulations in regards to keeping animals so that you can abide the laws for your specific area!
- Storey's Guide to Keeping Chickens
- The Backyard Homestead
- The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals
- The Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook
- The Chicken Chicks Guide to Backyard Chickens
What Are The Basic Supplies I Need?
To get started with your own flock there's honestly not much that you really need aside from a good amount of space to let them roam. Chickens don't need a ton of land but you do want an adequate space for them to forage. You can choose to let them completely free range on your entire property or you can give them access to what is called a chicken run in order to keep them safe from predators or to keep them from pooping on your patio, because frankly they poop... a lot. Then you will also need a chicken coop area for your hens to roost at night or during inclement weather. It doesn't need to be as big or as fancy as a lot of the ones you see on Pinterest, as long as its created to fit the amount of birds you are planning to get with roosting bars for them to perch in and nesting boxes for laying. Aside from that, you will need a decent amount of waterers so your flock isn't fighting over space to get to fresh water.
If you're planning to get baby chicks, because helllllo they are precious, then you will also need a space to keep them safe until they are big enough to go into the coop. As well as a warming light and lightbulb such as the ones I linked or a warming plate like this one. You will also need to provide a high protein starter ration for them while they are growing and gaining their feathers. We choose to use all organic feed from the time they are young.
Something else to note that is completely up to the owner, but we choose not to vaccinate our chicks when we get them. They are more susceptible to flock illnesses this way but we find its a minor risk to take in regards to keeping our chickens free of toxins that could potentially effect their egg quality down the line. Unfortunately, losing hens is a part of homesteading. A very sad part, but a very normal part of life when rearing animals. We always mourn when a lady is lost but do our best to keep them well year round through lots of access to fresh water, sunlight and a nutrient dense diet.
In Closing
As with any animal, there is some kind of upkeep and responsibility when keeping chickens but honestly, they are one of the easiest animals I have ever cared for right up there with a goldfish! Except a goldfish can't provide you an incredibly nutrient dense food to give your family, so I think the upkeep and responsibility is worth it a million times over for the rewarding opportunity to raise our own food. It is also a wonderful teaching and learning opportunity for us to share with our kids, giving them the knowledge of where their food comes from along with the responsibility of caring for an animal. I don't think I could ever go back to life before keeping chickens and I would recommend the experience to anyone who is willing and able. Don't complicate it though! Keeping chickens is no more difficult than taking care of a dog. There is a bit of a learning curve but with some research and heart of willingness, you can do it too!
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