Backyard farming is increasingly popular as folks rediscover the delicious flavor and added nutrition of garden fresh fruits and veggies. Growing your own food is a rewarding experience, and small, locally grown crops are more eco-friendly — especially if you use organic techniques. Now more and more people are choosing to make chickens a part of their backyard farm.
Just as homegrown veggies are more nutritious and flavorful, so are homegrown eggs — especially if the chickens are allowed to forage in the yard for bits of seeds, plants and bugs, and are fed healthy kitchen scraps. In fact, homegrown eggs have been shown to be significantly lower in cholesterol and saturated fats as well as twice as high in Omega 3 fatty acids and three times as high in vitamin E, among other benefits. And the eggs taste delicious. Some people take it to the next level and find that homegrown chickens taste delicious too.
Whether for eggs or meat, commercially raised chickens don’t have a very happy life. When you raise chickens at home, you can provide them a quality of life you can feel good about. Some people maintain a coop with an outdoor yard for their chickens; other folks have mobile coops so they can move their chickens around the yard for fresh foraging and less need for cleanup. Other people let their chickens free range around the yard by day and provide them a secure shelter at night. However you keep them, they will be happier scratching around your yard in the sunshine than their commercially raised counterparts.
When you raise chickens, you will get the joy of watching your chickens busy themselves around the yard. Chickens are curious, intelligent, friendly critters; they make fun pets that are easy to care for. There are many breeds available with different feather patterns, sizes, egg color and personalities. You might want to consider raising heritage breed chickens. These birds hearken back to the days of our country’s settlers who developed these good sturdy breeds to provide our forefathers with lots of eggs and good meat.
You can start your flock with adult chickens or baby chicks. Your hens won’t actually start laying until they are about five to six months old with full production at nine months, so if you want eggs immediately, you will probably want to start with a few adult hens. The rate of egg laying drops off after the first couple of years, so each year you will want to supplement your flock with new chicks (or young adults). Chicks can be ordered online, but the best place to get them is from local chicken growers or local feed stores. Handling your chicks during their first few days will make them even friendlier pets. Chicks need to be kept in a brooder for the first six weeks. A brooder is a box or pen that can be kept warm.
There are many local resources available to answer your questions about chickens. A good place to start is the Kitsap Poultry Growers Cooperative website at www.kitsappoultry.com. More information is available at local feed stores.
Stephanie Stebbing is owner of the Country Pet Shoppe in Kingston.
