Although keeping chickens isn’t for everyone, there are many benefits to keeping chickens. Whether you keep free-range chickens or keep them in a coop, it can come with many benefits and it isn’t just about the eggs, although that is a massive part of it. They can be great for your garden, make a great family pet, they are surprisingly loving animals and among that there are many other benefits. Below we will go over just a few of the reasons you should consider before keeping chickens yourself.
Advantages of keeping chickens
Fresh eggs
This is going to be one of the biggest parts of keeping chickens, this can be really fun if you have a family due to the fact that children will be able to go and collect their eggs and you can rest assured knowing that your eggs are coming from healthy happy chickens.
Compost
Another reason that keeping chickens can be good is due to the fact that you can make compost. Your plants will love it! Everyone who does a bit of gardening will know the value of good compost and chicken litter is one of the best available. If you decide to keep your chickens in a coop you can just get the litter from the bottom when it needs changing, this is an easy way to keep your chicken coop clean and makes the perfect fertiliser.
They can help keep the bugs away
Everyone hates those seasonal pests except chickens, they see flies and ticks as a protein-packed snack. Not only will your garden be pest free, but it will also be free of weeds, when your chickens are out of their coop and able to roam around, they will also peck away at the weeds for you. This is a win-win situation due to the fact they are helping you clean up the garden and keep it pest-free whilst also keeping themselves entertained and not hungry.
Family pet
Yes, a chicken isn’t the traditional family pet, but they are a really great family pet. Many chickens are very loving and will love their flock as well as their owners. You can form a real bond with your chickens, they will come rushing to meet you in the morning feeds, hoping up to your lap for affection and following you when they are roaming around out of their coop and run.
Less food will be wasted
If you have an overflow of fruit and veg that you and your family can’t possibly eat, you can give some to your chickens, they also love all of the bit we don’t such as seeds and stalks. This doesn’t have to happen all the time – your chickens will see it as a treat.
The benefits of keeping chickens are never-ending and go much further than what many people think, just having fresh eggs every morning. They can help towards the health of your garden, health of your plants by providing the compost for them to grow and can possibly even help with your mental health.
If you would like to find out more about chickens and the benefits to keeping them please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 08458 730 253 or alternatively head over to our contact page and we will be in touch as soon as possible.
