Off the Urban Grid

3 Reasons to Raise Chickens in Your Backyard

While raising cows, alpacas, goats, and other large livestock isn’t that practical in your average urban or suburban backyard (I can’t imagine why not…), more and more folks are getting on board with raising chickens. And there are a lot of good reasons for it too. I’m going to go over three reasons right now, but before you get too excited, make sure to check and see if it’s legal to keep chickens in your town. In some places, it’s totally fine, and in others… well, let’s hope they change their ways some day!

3 Reasons to Raise Chickens in Your Backyard

1. Eggs!

You don’t need to house many chickens to get enough eggs to keep your family in omelets and baked goods year around. And “farm fresh” chicken eggs are healthier for you than the ones you’ll get at the store.

Not only do you know that chickens you’ve raised at home have been humanely treated and are antibiotic free, but you get their eggs daily. They haven’t been carted across the country to sit on store shelves for days (maybe weeks).  It doesn’t get any fresher than this–you can get them while they’re still warm! Also real eggs have rich yellow (almost orange) yolks. If you’re used to the anemic white eggs from the store, you’ll really be impressed by how tasty fresh eggs can be.

And if you become a real chicken fan (everyone I know who raises chickens ends up with more than the couple they planned on), you can sell the eggs to friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. to raise a little cash on the side (you can make more from selling the eggs than it costs to keep chickens).  Even folks who aren’t health nuts know in their hearts that fresh eggs from your backyard chickens are better for them than the questionable large-corporation-produced eggs at the store.

2. Free rich compost

If you’re a gardener, then you’ll love the droppings your chickens leave for you. (What can I say? Gardeners love odd things.)

Chicken droppings are high in nitrogen, so after some quality time in the compost bin, they will turn into a rich amendment that adds organic matter and increases the water holding capacity and beneficial biota in your soil. Aged chicken manure can also act as a good fertilizer, providing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to help your plants grow.

Unlike with commercial fertilizers and composts, you know exactly what you’re getting since you’re responsible for raising the chickens, including providing a friendly living environment and organic feed.

The average size hen produces 1 cubic foot of manure every six months.

3. Help preparing garden beds

If you know people with chickens already, you’ve probably heard them speak fondly of their chicken tractors. Build a mobile cage for your chickens, and you can have them peck and poop all over the garden area you’re preparing for next spring. Not only will they destroy the weeds, they’ll fertilize as they go.

Raised garden beds can work particularly well with this method. Just build a tractor to size and let the chickens go at the area until it’s pecked free of vegetation, and then move them onto the next bed.

For more information on raising chickens and all the benefits they can provide, check out the following sites:

• Chicken Tractor Gallery
• Composting Chicken Manure
• How to Keep Chickens in the City
• Farm Eggs vs. Store Eggs
• Health Benefits of Farm Fresh Eggs

Tags: chickens, livestock, urban homesteading