When I was a little girl, I would dream of living on a farm. My picture in my head included me standing in a farm yard, scattering feed to my chickens, ducks and assorted fowl, while they peacefully gathered round me.
Now, anyone that has chickens, knows the reality is quite different. Chickens can run at you when you bring the bucket of feed, fly up on the bucket even, and chase each other away to get the best morsels. If you are blessed enough to have well behaved chickens, then they remain on the ground, but will hover so closely around your feet that you will trip over them as you walk trying to get to the feeders.
Chickens can be a lot of hard work. Their coop needs to be cleaned. The chickens themselves sometimes need to be cleaned. They need to be protected. Sometimes they get broody. Then, for all your hard work, at times, they don't even lay eggs!
However, with all that in mind, I believe the benefits outweigh the negatives by far. Women especially seem to enjoy the subtle joys raising chickens brings. Let me just count some of the lovely benefits.
1) You can feed your family farm fresh eggs every day.- This is a top benefit. There is nothing like starting your day off with some protein, knowing that it came from your hard work, with no artificial hormones, and did not sit in the store for weeks. I remember when I first got chickens, they hadn't started laying yet and my aunt mentioned that she sometimes added food coloring to the egg dishes she made to make them look more palatable. I thought that was such a strange thing to say, as my store bought eggs always looked tasty. When I finally got my first home grown eggs, I knew what she meant. The color was stunning! The yolks were such a deep gold, they were almost orange. When I have been forced to buy eggs after having chickens, they look so sickly in comparison I have trouble eating them.
2) Your children will eat more eggs- The difference in quality of eggs will actually make your children want to eat more eggs. My boys, especially will eat 5-6 eggs for breakfast. When they were growing, they could eat even more! Most of them cook, but when they couldn't, they could all at least make eggs of various types.
3) Chickens are entertaining-Chickens are fun to watch. They have a pecking order. They are social and need to be in company, yet once in a while, a hen gets independent and will wander off on her own. Chickens are educational and give pause for thought. They teach life lessons and even, occasionally, impart a nugget of wisdom in to our lives.
4) Chickens are natural recyclers. Clean out your refrigerator of leftovers and give it to your chickens. When you peel your carrots or cut the cores from your apples, all of those scraps can be given to chickens. The leftovers on your plate can be given to your chickens. You need no longer feel guilty about throwing out food. Your chickens can turn it in to more fresh food! There are just a few exceptions like banana peels and avocados. Chickens will also clean up your yard of many unfriendly pests, such as ticks.
5) Chickens are relaxing-This is my number one benefit-Sit on the porch during the day, early in the morning or in the evening and just watch the chickens. What ever troubles life has brought your way, what stresses your children might be putting you through, sit down and just take a deep breath and watch how your chickens calmly, methodically walk through your yard pecking and scratching. The serenity of their orderly pace is somehow so normal, so peaceful and regular. It makes one just sit and enjoy simple things and take a moment to be thankful in the middle of hard things.
So while raising chickens might not match my childhood image of ease and freedom. It holds such sweet rewards. I can honestly say I don't want to live with out chickens on my farm ever. Even when all the children are gone. Of course,,,
there are always grandchildren.
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