Meet My Backyard Chickens!
Sharky, Amelia Egghart, Wendy, and Hennifer A-Nest-on
I have some egg-citing news to share—we've got four new chicken friends! Our backyard now has its very own feathery flock, and so far it's way easier than I anticipated. Not only that, the environmental benefits of having chickens is pretty amazing. It's a shame not all municipalities don't allow it!
1. Eggs, obviously!
I saw a tshirt once that said "Farm Fresh Chicken Butt Nuggets" and I literally think about that saying every time we go to collect from the coop. But seriously, it's like having a easter egg hunt every day, except instead of chocolate you get to save big bucks (clucks?) on organic free range eggs. And trust me, once you taste a home-grown egg, you'll never want to go back to store-bought ones. The yolks are richer, the flavor is better, and the shells harder. You can truly see and taste the difference.
2. Happy, Healthy Hens
Knowing exactly where your food comes from is a big deal, and I love that we're allowing at least some chickens (who notoriously are treated pretty terribly) have a good life. Our hens came from a cramped, indoor caged living, but are now living their best lives. When we put them in their new coop, it was litterally the first time they were in the sun, with a breeze and dirt under their feet. They've got a cozy coop, plenty of space to roam, and all the natural food they can peck at.
3. Money Savings? You Bet!
These days a dozen organic eggs at the grocery store cost about $8. Now, with our backyard brood, I'm getting those same high-quality eggs for basically nothing. We built our coop into our existing shed, and the run out of some 2x4's and chicken wire, so the whole thing was under $200. Once that initial setup is done, chickens are pretty low-maintenance and inexpensive to keep. So far they're loving our backyard weeds, table scraps, and insects so much that they're barely interested in the chicken feed.
4. Poop 💩
Chicken poop is as gross as any other poop, but as a gardener it's considered "black gold." I just let my hens do their thing, then scoop up the droppings and mix them into my compost. So not only am I saving money on eggs, I don't anticipate on needing to purchase compost for our gardens every spring hereonin.
5. Natural Pest Control
We had an explosion of box elder bugs last year, and they're looking like they're making another comeback this year. But we're ready for them now! My chickens are like tiny, feathered exterminators. They're happy, I'm happy, the bugs aren't happy, and that makes me happy again.
6. The Ultimate Waste Disposal System
Chickens are great composters! They love leftover veggies, fruit peels, and even stale bread. It's like a weird mini dino converting food waste into new food (ie. eggs). We have always composted, but now it's kind of like double composting: Scraps to chickens, chickens poop, poop to compost. Compost to plants. Plants to food, food to scraps.
7. They're entertaining
And here’s the best part—chickens are fun. They're very friendly and they've been very entertaining to watch and get to know. Despite never being handled before we got them, we've found ours to be really outgoing and they even come when we call "chicky-chicky-chickens!" It's been a fun family experience so far, and given everything I've listed above, I'd highly recommend getting chickens to anyone with the space and time to raise them.
If you’ve ever thought about getting chickens, give it a go! Your garden, your wallet, and your new chickens will thank you!
