5 Reasons Families Need Backyard Chickens

With so many families moving toward self-sufficiency, organic food and homesteading interest in raising chickens is skyrocketing.  Here are five reasons you need a flock in your backyard.

We didn’t get our first flock until we were grandparents when we moved to our farm, Glad Tidings. We’ve enjoyed them with our grandkids, but I wish we had gotten them sooner when our kids were still home.   This is what we learned about chickens that you should know.

Five Things to Expect from Having Backyard Chickens

1.  They Are Easy! 

Chickens are so easy and can be very laid back.

Seriously.  We put their organic feed in the feed bowl and refill it every few days.  Do the same thing with their water.   Every week or so, when needed, we cleaned out the laying boxes and put fresh hay or wood shavings in them.  The old hay or shavings go directly into the compost tumbler. Done.

They do not bite, and their pecks are so gentle.  (Rooster pecks are NOT gentle in my experience because it’s his job to protect his ladies.  Roosters also have spurs!  For people living in a subdivision, this probably won’t be a problem as most HOAs don’t allow roosters.) 

If you handle your chickens from the time they are chicks they will follow you around and even sit in your lap!

2.  Eggs! 

Gathering eggs is so much fun and if your flock includes “Easter eggers” (hybrid chickens that are a cross between brown egg layers and blue egg layers) you’ll have the added fun of gathering super colorful eggs in shades of blue, green, tan, pink, yellow and brown.  There’s something really special about going into the backyard, instead of the grocery store, and gathering your breakfast. 

3.  Chickens are Hilarious! 

Who knew?  Chickens love swings made from tree branches, apples smeared with peanut butter and coated in birdseed hanging from a rope, taking dirt baths, hunting for bugs and chasing after food scraps you throw to them.  We have a friend who mounted a colorful child’s xylophone on the wall of the coop and enjoys chicken concerts as they peck out tasty tunes!  They will also eat cat food and dog food if they can get to it!  The Engineer and I love sitting on the back porch listening to their sweet soft burbling conversations as they roam around doing their thing.  We had no idea chickens were so melodious.  (I’m of an age that I have to confess I keep looking for their Foghorn Leghorn arms which seem to be missing… whippersnappers may have to Google it!)

4.  You and Your Kids Will Learn A Lot About Chickens.

Most people these days don’t know the things your kids will.

There’s one rooster to a flock and he’s the BOSS.   Being the boss means he tells the hens where the food is, but he’s the last to eat.  He’s always watchful and protects his hens and he keeps the hens from fighting with each other.

Some hens really like sitting on the nest.  Others just lay eggs and walk away.

Orange yolks taste better than yellow ones.  The more bugs they eat the more orange the yolks are!

 Chickens get up with the sun and when evening comes they go back to the coop.

 If you don’t wash the gathered eggs you don’t have to refrigerate them right away.  They can sit out on the counter for about two weeks.  If you wash them though (and some of them will need it) they will have to be kept in the refrigerator.

 Your kids will know where eggs come from.  I know it sounds silly, but a lot of people are pretty confused about this.  Personally, I think it’s because eggs are found in the dairy case in the grocery store.  I’ve had more than a few people express sympathy that I can’t eat eggs when they find out I’m allergic to dairy! 

5.  Your Kids Will Love Being the Local Chicken Experts. 

They will be able to demonstrate how to hold a chicken, show off their chicken setup, talk about chicken breeds and egg production, if they’re the kind that love random information about things they will soon be walking encyclopedias of chicken facts.  You may even find that instead of a lemonade stand your kids start selling free-range organic eggs to your neighbors!

FAQ

Are chickens messy?  Well… chickens are indiscriminate poopers so yes there will be poop in places you won’t want it, but on the other hand, they are omnivores that are able to turn food scraps into wonderful fertilizer and eggs so it’s a tradeoff.  And in their constant search for yummy bugs they will probably scratch around in your flowerbeds disturbing the mulch.  If your backyard is pristine and this worries you, you might consider a chicken yard around the coop.  It would make them less “free range” but it would save your flowerbeds.

Do I have to build a coop?  No, farm supply stores often have them in stock.  The folks at RentACoop also have a great setup for backyard-size flocks.  Check them out here.

Where do I get the chickens?  In the spring you’ll often see signs at feed stores advertising that the chicks are in or you can check with locals about chick, pullets or fully grown hens.

When do chickens start laying eggs?  When they are 18-22 weeks old.  Of course for a little more money you can buy pullets (chickens less than a year old) and get a jump start on egg production.

Are brown eggs different from white eggs?  No.  Different chicken breeds lay different colors shells, but what’s inside is the same.

Other Great Summer Ideas For You and Your Kids

• Getting Kids Excited About Gardening

• 150 Fun Boredom Busters for Kids to Do

• Geocaching, a Modern Treasure Hunt