Wednesday, February 23, 2011

7 Reasons to Raise Chickens (courtesy of McMurray Hatchery blog)

1. Fresh Eggs

There simply aren’t any eggs fresher than those that you can get if you raise your own chickens.

 

2. High Quality Eggs and Meat

When you raise your own chickens, you manage their food supply, water supply, and living conditions. Take good care of your chickens, feed them a balanced diet, provide a good clean water supply, keep their coop clean, keep your flock healthy, disease free, and stress free, and in return, they will give you excellent quality eggs and meat.

 

3. Sustainable Food

As long as you provide for their needs properly, your chickens won’t care whether the Dow Jones average is up or down or what the price per barrel is for crude oil this week.  Your chickens can supply you with meat and eggs right through the toughest times.

 

4. Table Scraps

Does it bother you to throw yesterday’s wilted lettuce salad into the trash so that it can be carried off to the landfill?  Feed it to your chickens instead, as a supplement to their regular diet, and they can convert it to eggs for your table and fertilizer for your garden.

 

5. Garden Fertilizer

Chicken manure can be an excellent addition to your garden, particularly if you feed your chickens organic feed.  When cleaning out the coop, add the manure to your compost pile.

 

6. Stress Relief and Enjoyment

There are few things more relaxing and enjoyable than watching your chickens as they forage, chase grasshoppers and other garden pests, and do their other antics.  Many people say that watching their chickens helps them relax.

 

7. It’s Great for your Children and Grandchildren

From my experience, most children love chickens.  They love to feed them and gather the eggs. Helping care for the chickens helps children to grow up to become responsible, caring adults.


What are some of the ways that raising chickens has enriched your life?  Why do you raise chickens?


Courtesy of McMurray Hatchery Blog

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