Benefits of Having Backyard Chickens
Whether you live out in the country or in a suburban setting, chickens are one of the best barnyard animals you can raise in a relatively small space. Overall, they are also very easy to care for, with minimum requirements of a safe coop, food, and water to be happy and healthy.
No matter where you live or why you’re thinking of getting chickens, you’ll find that having a flock provides you and your family with many advantages.
What Are Some of the Benefits of Raising Backyard Chickens?
There are several reasons why you should consider having chickens in your backyard. Chickens help us by:
Producing Eggs
One of the best — and tastiest — benefits of having backyard chickens is that you’ll be able to enjoy fresh eggs! Instead of getting your eggs from large factory farms, you’ll be able to see exactly where your food is coming from and know those eggs came from happy birds. Another bonus? You can sell any extras you collect at a farmers market.
Acting as Pest Control
Because chickens are omnivores, they’ll help reduce the insect population in your backyard. Chickens regularly scratch around and consume bothersome bugs like ants, ticks, spiders and grubs. They’ll also gobble down common plant-destroying insects like beetles and grasshoppers, helping keep your backyard free from pests.
Helping Reduce Waste
While their entire diet can’t be made up of kitchen waste or snacks, you can feed your chickens your extra food scraps. Up to about 10% of your chickens’ diet can be your leftovers, making them a great way of recycling your food and reducing waste.
Producing Fertilizer
Chicken manure is a great source of nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Because it does contain so much nitrogen, you will have to either mix it in with organic materials like leaves or put it into your compost pile to break down before you spread it in your garden.
This nutrient-dense fertilizer, or “black gold,” will eventually turn into nitrates, helping nourish flowers or other plants.
Providing Entertainment and Education
One of the most enjoyable aspects of raising backyard chickens is that they’ll provide you with endless hours of fun. You and your family will get to watch how your flock interacts with each other, making these helpful birds both entertaining and educational. Kids especially will get a better understanding of farming practices and how food gets from the “farm” — or your backyard — to the table.
Raise a Healthy Backyard Flock With Nature’s Best Organic Feeds
As the leading certified organic feed manufacturer here in the United States, Nature’s Best Organic Feeds provide the premium ingredients you need to raise a healthy, happy backyard flock. Our chicken feed, which is formulated by nutrition experts, is regularly tested to ensure optimal quality.
We make it easy for you to find Non-GMO Project-Verified, non-medicated and organic feeds in bagged and bulk quantities.
Use our store locator tool to find our feed in a store near you.