Why Your Family Needs Backyard Chickens

Once upon a time there was a girl with a dream. A dream of having exquisite, marvelous, perfectly pastel eggs. Real eggs. Chicken eggs. This dream started out as something I personally wanted. A friend of mine at work, Kenny, would bring me some of his chickens’ blue eggs. I would gaze in awe at those pastel beauties every time he would present me with a carton and pick his brain about all things chicken related. Each time I was given fresh eggs, the desire within me grew to have chickens of my own that would lay these gorgeous, colorful creations. I had no idea that this aspect of the world of chicken eggs existed. You can have pink eggs, green eggs, peach eggs, speckled eggs…shoot, you can even have burnt sienna colored eggs! Because I’m a visual person, this was enticing to me. My husband and I talked about having our own chickens some day. This became possible once we moved into our new home a few years ago. His handy work and my research made my dreams come true on our lovely little stretch of backyard. I was thrilled! However, it hadn’t occurred to me just how wonderful it would be for us as a family. Over the last two years, our decision to have backyard chickens to care for and benefit from has turned into one of our most favorite family adventures. Here are five reasons why!

Our Eggs Go from Farm to Table.
We don’t have a true farm, but we are using a small portion of the land we own to raise something that produces a product we eat. We do this with our garden as well. We are able to show our children exactly what our chickens eat and know exactly what our eggs are made of. In today’s world of being more conscious about what we are eating, what goes into it, how it’s processed, and how it affects our bodies, this is something simple we can have control over and teach our kids. Most farm fresh eggs have twice the amount of nutrients (to name one, omega-3) that an egg from a factory does. We get to choose what kind of feed we bring home and we are able to give our girls (we only have hens) appropriate veggie and fruit scraps from our kitchen. Along with those aspects of their diet, the girls are able to “free range” in our yard when we are out in the yard with them. We have local predators, such as hawks, so we choose to enclose our run for their safety. They are able to peck and scratch around a certain portion of our yard and eat all the fresh grass, weeds, and bugs until their little chicken hearts are content. This adds to the nutritional value as well.
Chickens Contribute More Than Eggs!
Yes, I said that the bugs they eat impact the yumminess of our eggs. This is great for us because chickens eat the bugs that I’m not a huge fan of. They eat mosquitos, mosquito larvae, ticks, beetles, squash bugs, and many more. This is a win-win for having small children in your backyard playing in the summer time, my squash plants, and also any adult who doesn’t enjoy being bitten. This reduces the need for us to resort to chemical means to rid our yard of unwanted insects. We try you use natural means when possible. Our most successful, natural resources so far have been the chickens. In addition to ridding our yard of a large percentage of pests, we can use their manure, too. Composted chicken manure can be a cost effective, homegrown answer for those beautiful crops you’re trying to grow.
They Teach Responsibility
Part of having backyard chickens, is of course, taking care of them. This is an all hands on deck affair. Everyone has a role and takes part in this. Our kids are learning to care for living creatures and what it means to nurture and protect a life that is not your own. They know that mom and dad take measure to keep the chickens safe. They know that the chickens needs certain things to survive, be healthy, and happy (yep, chickens can be happy!). The responsibility part extends to themselves as well. They have learned that animals have different germs and that we have to care for ourselves when caring for animals. We practice thorough hand-washing and wear appropriate attire (mostly boots to wear in the chickens’ areas) when we are out doing chicken chores. Before we go out, we grab our boots and egg basket. We make sure to keep the right gates closed when we enter their space. We assign and agree to jobs. One kid might be in charge of water, while the other is in charge of feed. One might be collecting eggs, or they might share that job that day. Our children are seven and three. They have both been helping with our chickens for quite some time. We have made tailored their level of help to their age. When our daughter was younger, we would fill the scoop with feed and she would dump it into their feeder. Now, we do that for our son if he is feeding them. We have a yard hydrant near the coop that turns on by pulling up the handle. Our daughter can run out and turn on the water for us while our son fills up the watering containers with the hose. Egg collecting has been a great way to teach gentleness and to the importance of taking your time so that the eggs don’t break. It’s important that we take care of the hard work that the girls did for us. Our kids feel proud that they can help, contribute, and care for something that gives back to us. They are also becoming experts in their own right on chicken breeds (they can tell you different characteristics of Orpingtons versus Americaunas), benefits of fresh eggs, and what the chickens’ favorite snacks are.
We Get to Be Apart of Something Bigger
As we dove into the poultry farming world, we realized that within it exists a unique community. We share a love for chickens, farm fresh eggs, different chicken breeds, chicken coop design, and much more with a larger community of people that stretches through our county, state, country, and world. I’ve found my Poultry Farming tribe and continue to add to it. Our kids will tell just about anyone who will listen about our chickens. It’s even more exciting for them when the person with whom they’re speaking not only lives around the corner or down the road, but has chickens of their own. Some amazing friends of ours, who are also chicken owners, have two daughters who . To listen to our four children discuss their chickensI recently took a trip to Europe and happened upon a lovely castle-side café that raised and grew most of their ingredients. Their patio and gardens were home to some of the most beautiful chickens I’ve seen. It was so much fun to talk with the owner (in German!!) about which breed of chickens they had, their eggs, and origin.
We Bond over Chicken Care
This is something we do as a family. It is unique and special. It ties us together in yet another way. We are apart of something bigger and enjoyable. It’s also incredibly fun to sit back and watch the chickens race each other for a snail and then try to steal it from each other. We watch them roll around in the dirt for their “dust baths” to keep their skin cool, dry, and free from bugs. We talk to them, pet them, and occasionally swing with them. Enjoying the gentle chatter or loud squawks as we work and play out back is sweet, funny, and a welcomed sound we are used to. The girls get excited when they hear us coming and I know that the feeling is mutual.

Do you have backyard chickens? What breeds? Do you and your family care for other animals in your part of the world? I’d love to hear!