Spring is right around the corner and that means warm weather, spring bulbs, and baby chicks. If you’ve been on the fence about starting that chicken flock, 2019 is your year! Here are several reasons why you should stop putting off your first order and start your backyard chicken journey this year!
CHICK LOVE
There is not much cuter than baby chicks. Their peeping is precious, and the potential is enormous. Chicks have taught my family so many useful skills. Together, we have learned how to be mindful of the creatures we bring to our homestead. We’ve cuddled them, fed them, cleaned the poop off their butts, and watched them grow and give back to us! They’ve also taught us valuable lessons about raising our own food, and life and death as well.
HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT
Chickens might have a reputation for being bird brains, but they provide hours of fun for people who take the time to watch. We love learning the true meaning behind so many chicken sayings. There is a true pecking order in chicken flocks. Some chickens are indeed hen-pecked. And the rooster may crow, but the hen delivers the goods!
FRESH EGGS
If you’ve ever compared a farm-fresh egg to a store-bought egg, you will be amazed at the difference. Farm-fresh eggs from your backyard chicken flocks come in so many spectacular colors. Search the hashtag #rainbow eggs on Instagram and prepare to be amazed!
Chickens lay eggs in almost every color of the rainbow. I was mind blown when I first found out there are more colors than white and brown. Green, blue, pink, speckled, dark brown, cream – all of these colors can be yours thanks to the right chicken and Hoover’s Hatchery sells them all.
Not only are the outside colors different, but you’ll find differences inside the eggs too. Chickens are natural carnivores and a varied diet gives yolks a brilliant and rich orange color and helps firm up the egg whites too. While I haven’t really found much of a difference in taste, farm-fresh and store-bought eggs are just not the same.
COMPOST EATERS AND MAKERS
Chickens are also great at reducing trash as you can feed them a lot of your food waste. Our chickens love to eat melon rinds, beans, most fruits and veggies, leftover eggs if there are ever any, and pasta and bread too. It’s a great feeling to reduce the trash that goes to the landfill by simply feeding it to the chickens. And not only do they eat my compost, but their own compost makes the perfect garden fertilizer! It’s a win-win in my book.
BUG CONTROL
Finally, chickens are amazing at keeping the bug population down. They’ll eat grubs, Japanese beetles, tomato horn worms, and I even catch ours eating mice from time to time. They are great help beyond simply providing eggs!
What are you waiting for? Make your backyard chicken dreams come true this year and be rewarded with eggs and so much more!