For many gardening lovers, nothing beats a blooming green landscape. While challenging, there may be a simple and unexpected solution that can change your yard experience from a headache into a fun, self-managing garden area.
Yes, that is chicken. Believe it or not, chicken can be a surprisingly pleasant hobby to have in your backyard. After all, they are living animals, and it is not usual to spend many hours reading about your coop and home for just one of these interesting creatures. But it is not as hard as you think.
In any case you are intending to raise chickens, the good news is you can and get lots of other perks for your family and garden. Without further delay, let’s look at seven great benefits to raising chickens in your own backyard.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Chickens are natural omnivores that efficiently consume plant-harming pests
- Their created manure is a rich source of key minerals like nitrogen and potassium
- Hens can lay up to six eggs per week, providing a free supply of eggs
- Consider a simple feeding schedule and occasional cleaning
1. It Keeps the Family Happy
If your family loves animals, then cooping some chickens is a great way to fuel their love for them even more. Of course, you will need high-quality chicken coops from Somerzby or other retailers before buying your first chicken.
Many popular chicken breeds are quite sociable and docile, which makes them excellent companions for children who want to play a functioning role in tending these majestic birds.
These chickens also have distinct personalities that can be fun just like humans to watch for both you and your family. They can be clingy to their owners, or they can be tame and surety in staying in a single spot.
Furthermore, chickens are also mainly outdoor animals. This can automatically bring the family out in view of nature and greenery. Staying connected to nature is scientifically proven to boost people’s mental health, so keeping chickens is a great way to uplift the entire family’s mood in good spirits.
In any case, raising chickens is a great way to improve your spouse, your, and your children’s life satisfaction. It should be a no-brainer to see why staying around them in a household is a good idea.
2. It Keeps Pests Away
Chickens are natural omnivores, and aside from their regular diet of seeds and hay, they also occasionally munch on insects found in the ground and dirt, such as lizards and worms.
When you have an entire flock of chickens just frolicking about, they can act as your property’s active defence mechanism against parasites, pests, and other such critters from lingering in your yard. This not only makes your home feel more hygienic and clean, but it also keeps potential diseases from spreading and wreaking havoc on your family and farm animals.
Furthermore, if you are growing vegetables in your garden, having chickens wander around the perimeter helps keep plant-harming pests like slugs and beetles from going to these growing plants. In essence, they work as a natural pest deterrent—helping keep the ecosystem of your garden in a good status quo.
3. It Gives You a Constant Egg Supply
Another perk of owning a chicken—or perhaps, the most notable one—is the high probability of them giving you and your household a steady source of fresh eggs.
You may invest a bit on the initial cost to get your chicken farm up and running. But once you have done so and set up a self-sustaining feeding system, you can be guaranteed a fresh batch of eggs every morning for free.
Hens can lay up to six eggs a week, so having half a dozen egg-producing hens can be quite enough to feed the family and use for cooking.
On top of having eggs grown from the comfort of your own home, the eggs you get at home are often also fresher and richer than store-bought ones. You also know exactly what your chickens are eating before they lay their eggs, allowing you to eat a healthier and cleaner byproduct.
Plus, it’s a lot more fulfilling to eat your own chicken’s egg than one from a potentially maltreated hen.
4. They Can be Entertaining To Watch
Chickens have a natural attraction that’s hard not to enjoy. Sometimes, their quirky mannerisms can be unintentionally hilarious in the backyard. Whether they are scratching the ground, chasing bugs, or attempting to fly, these birds have a lot of spunk that can be fun and relaxing to observe on their own.
Whenever you get bored or have nothing to do, you can just relax on your porch and watch your chicken flock do their thing. It can be entrancing and satisfying to watch, especially if you are had the chickens for quite some time now and have developed a strong sense of connection with your flock.
5. They Teach Children About Responsibility
In case you have kids, having chicken around the house can be a great way to teach them about responsibility. Chickens need a fair bit of care to ensure that they stay happy and healthy. Their coop also needs occasional cleaning to ensure that they do not run the risk of catching and spreading diseases.
Having your kid complete cleaning and collecting tasks can be a great way to instill a sense of responsibility in them at an early age. As raising and caring for chicken is an activity it’s also a great bonding experience that somehow manages to be both fun and educational at the same time.
That said, as a parent, it is important to emphasise the educational aspect of the activity. You should teach your kid about the fact that the chicken is another living creature that needs stewardship and care.
Whether that’s refilling the feed every few days or replacing the straw in the floor, they can develop discipline. By giving them a sense of responsibility over them, empathy and a work ethic that they can carry with them for life.
6. They Provide Natural Fertiliser
A surprise to no one, but chickens poop quite frequently. While it may be easy to just ignore their fecal matter as nothing more than something to dispose of, the truth is that their manure is actually something worth having around the backyard.
Chicken manure is filled with a plethora of key minerals like potassium and nitrogen. This can help accelerate the growth of these plants, when placed on top of seedlings and plant materials. Furthermore, when composted, this can help improve the structure of soil and help it retain moisture in a better way.
If you do not want to put chemical fertilizer in your backyard, then chicken poop is unironically the next best thing. So go ahead and let your chicken to frolic your lawn every once in a while—your plants will thank you for it.
7. They’re Not Very High Maintenance
Although it may seem as if chickens require a lot of care, the reality is that it is fairly straightforward to care for them. And this goes for around every type of chicken breeds.
A secure coop, a weekly feeding and cleaning schedule, and nesting boxes. This is all chickens need. Once a system is set up, most chicken breeds can grow and reward you with companionship, pest control services, and an occasional egg.
A chicken or multiple chickens can be a pet that’s not too demanding to take care of. This way, you can reap the benefits of owning a money-generating animal without being hasting with too much maintenance work.
We hope we have given you a good idea of the benefits of owning and raising chickens at home. All the best in caring for your flock!
Final Summary: Benefits of Chickens for Your Garden
Chickens are active members of the natural garden ecosystem that can provide basic supplies that reduce the need for physical labor and chemical products. See them here:
| Benefit | Gardening Impact |
Natural Pest Control | Reduce dependency on chemical pesticides and safeguard at-risk plants. |
Free Fertilization | Functions as a natural soil amendment of high quality when properly composted, enhancing soil fertility. |
Weed and Seed Removal | Preps garden beds for planting and minimizes weeding by hand. |
Soil Aeration & Tilling | Enhances soil structure, increases drainage, and allows for improved root growth. |
Composting Accelerator | Expedites the composting process to produce fertilizer in less time. |
Are chickens able to damage my plants while they are wandering in the yard?
Possibly. Therefore, it is best to allow them to roam only during select time periods.
How often does the chicken coop need to be cleaned?
Regular basic cleaning is fine. Deep cleaning is usually suggested once a month for cleanliness and disease control.
Are backyard chicken eggs really better than store bought eggs?
Yes. These are unprocessed eggs, which is thought to be superior to store bought eggs.
Are chickens expensive?
Not really. You will have a one time investment, and regular upkeep is worth it.
