There are several great reasons to keep chickens in your yard, beside the usual egg and meat collection. Here are some ideas that come to my mind right off the bat:
- Bug control! Chickens love to eat ants, ticks, spiders, mosquitoes and anything else that crawls. My hubby detests spiders, so he particularly loves having chickens snoop the perimeter of our house.
- Natural Fertilizer. Chicken droppings are awesome fertilizer for the grass as well as your garden compost.
- Lawn aeration. When chickens scamper around the yard, they scratch the ground looking for bugs, and in turn give the ground a little aeration and refreshing.
- Weed Control. Chickens love to eat weeds! Say no more….for some yards, that is reason enough to get a few chickens!
- Friendly curious pets. I didn’t really think our chickens could be friends until one day several weeks after getting them. After being in town for a long errands day, we came home to a very friendly welcome. All our chickens gathered around our car, flapping, dancing and squealing. They were like little children happy to see their parents home after a long separation. I also enjoy how curious they are, following me around the yard as I do gardening, they seem to especially love watching me dig in the dirt.
- Weather Alerting. I’ve noticed that whenever the clouds clear a bit and the sun peeps through, our roosters go crazy. They love the sunshine. Also, like most animals, chickens are sensitive to storms rolling in and will flutter and squawk more before a storm blows in.
- Emergency Food Backup. You never know what might happen. Blizzards, hurricanes, droughts etc. are all examples of disasters that can cause emergency food shortages. Having a good stock of food in your pantry and freezer is always wise but having some of your own farm animals gives you a great advantage when a food shortage occurs. Just remember to be wise, prepare frugally!
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