The life of a chicken keeper is interesting, entertaining, and rewarding. Having a coop full of curious, clucking creatures in your backyard can be an adventure—one that comes with endless perks. Whether you’re in it for the money, the homegrown eggs, or the satisfaction of raising and caring for another animal, there’s no end to the incredible benefits of keeping backyard chickens. Find out how a flock can improve your life with this list of reasons to keep your own chickens.
Farm Fresh Eggs
While eggs are one of the most obvious benefits of keeping backyard chickens, there’s no understating their value. When you collect eggs from your own chickens, you know exactly where they came from and how those birds have been treated. Plus, eggs that are fresh from the farm are nutritious and rich in both color and flavor—once you try them, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought eggs. You might even have enough to go around. Share your excess eggs with friends or neighbors. You might even be able to make some money on the side by selling your product to the community at your local farmers’ market.
Hours of Entertainment
Chickens are surprisingly funny little creatures. From the soft, chirping chicks to curious, squabbling hens, your flock can provide amusement as you watch them go about their business. You can even put up some entertainment in the form of a chicken swing or other toys and watch your birds have at it. Chickens are fascinating, and you can learn a lot just by sitting back and watching them. Learn more about how they communicate, establish a pecking order, and keep themselves occupied day in and day out just by hanging out in your backyard.
Pest Control
Tired of mosquitoes, ticks, or other pests hanging out around your house in the summer? Chickens are experts in the pest control business. All those pesky critters that get into your home or garden make perfect protein-rich snacks for your birds. This is particularly useful if you keep a garden near your chickens. They’ll take care of the grasshoppers, snails, and other pests that would try to harm your plants. Chickens also like to eat a lot of the weeds that might grow in your garden. They’ll do an excellent job protecting your plants, and they even get free food out of it—everybody wins!
