Gardening with Chickens - Part 1 - Why Chickens?
Labels: Chickens, eggs, gardening, Rebecca Nickols
by Rebecca Nickols
The Master Gardener chapter that I am a member of is doing a series of gardening classes this spring and the speakers bureau asked if I would do a PowerPoint presentation on chickens ... Of course I accepted! What a great opportunity to spread the news on how easy and enjoyable it is to have a flock of backyard chickens! As this is a gardening series and I'm more of a gardener than a farmer, I thought I would not only share the whys and hows of basic chicken keeping, but also how a gardener can benefit from having a few hens, as well as strategies to protect your garden from the ever hungry foraging birds ...
Eggs (of course!): They supply you with beautiful, fresh eggs daily. Great tasting and proven to be more nutritious than store bought. According to research conducted by Mother Earth News, chickens allowed to roam freely and eat grass lay eggs that are higher in Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E and at the same time lower in cholesterol than store-bought eggs.
Your leftovers and surplus vegetables will never go in the trash again (reduces waste).
They provide you with an excellent fertilizer base (world's best)...
One simple step to make you closer to self-sufficiency and sustainable living: Your leftovers (and garden extras) are fed to the chickens; their "fertilizer" is added into the compost bin (along with egg shells and coop bedding); this compost is worked into the garden soil; crops are planted and harvested, then the cycle starts over ...
They reduce insect numbers (chemical-free bug and weed control)!
Easy and inexpensive (when compared to most other pets) and as pets go they're fun, friendly and they'll provide you with endless live entertainment! You'll soon learn that each chicken has their own unique behaviors and attitudes. Some will come when you call them and will want to be by your side at all times, while another member of the flock will be scared of its shadow and is sure the sky is falling! If you're not familiar with backyard chickens, they're not the commercialized chicken that many people think of ... These are the chickens our grandparents (or great-grandparents) had, they're intelligent, beautiful birds with gorgeous feather patterns and colors. Their antics and unique personalities are endearing, and if you're not careful, they'll become less like a farm animal and more of a pet. A dog might be a man's best friend, but a chicken is definitely a gardener's friend, companion and ally!
To see what else is happening on our Southwest Missouri property, visit ...the garden-roof coop.
at
12:11 AM
14 Comments:
Great start. Thank you!
By
LindaG, At
January 9, 2012 6:45 AM
Well done Becks. Looks like you've said it all in a nutshell (or eggshell).
Next thing you know, you'll be giving presentations as 'Chicken Ambassadeur' at the UN! :-)
By
Chris, At
January 10, 2012 6:35 AM
What a wonderful article. Thank you for sharing the benefits of chickens with others. We've been enjoying our own for two years this spring and no regrets (even with the 5am crowing!)
By
Roberta, At
January 10, 2012 9:13 AM
This is wonderful. You've definitely captured the main pluses ....... I look forward to the next installment.
By
Li'l Ned, At
January 10, 2012 10:11 AM
I'm looking forward to the next installment!
By
buck, At
January 10, 2012 10:13 AM
How do you keep the chickens from eating the garden plants?
By
linenkc, At
January 10, 2012 1:20 PM
linenkc: Stayed tuned! In a few weeks, I'll cover the advantages and disadvantages of gardening with your chickens. I'll also give some tips to keep the hens from devouring our garden plants!
By
Rebecca, At
January 10, 2012 1:32 PM
Great Article!!! Look Forward to your next one!
plantmom58
By
plantmom1, At
January 10, 2012 6:50 PM
I'm wondering how your tomatoes fared with the chickens ranging free in the garden. my birds had free run until I started seeing my tomatoes become chicken food right on the vine. What do you do with your tomatoes to keep them safe?
By
Genene, At
January 10, 2012 11:50 PM
Is this the year I finally get the chickens that I have always wanted? Maybe! I would have them for the entertainment alone, although fresh eggs daily sounds wonderful!
By
Jennifer, At
January 11, 2012 8:09 AM
I wonder what the "Japanese beetle soup" is?? The link goes to an article that doesn't mention it. I would love to try it. Do chickens really eat the beetles? I have not noticed a reduction....
By
nellk, At
January 11, 2012 8:07 PM
Love the article Rebecca!
By
Hibiscus House, At
January 11, 2012 8:44 PM
Nellk: The correct link to "Japanese beetle soup" is now fixed! Chickens love Japanese beetles! They would hunt them down and devour them and I would hand-pick the beetles and feed them to the flock. I think it would take a herd of chickens to completely rid my yard and gardens of Japanese beetles, but the chickens did make a small dent in their population.
By
Rebecca, At
January 11, 2012 11:40 PM
I have a nurse chicken. We recently had a neighborhood dog killed hen and nearly kill another. When my husband picked up the hen she squawked and so he put back in the chicken yard. She went right into the nest. Her back was pretty torn up and after little medical tx by me I placed her in the brooding pen to heal. A little bantam started hanging out outside the brooding pen to keep her company and has stayed there until she was completely well. Nice little nurse~
By
midwifee, At
February 7, 2012 3:18 PM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
Tweet
<< Home