Top Reasons for Raising Backyard Chickens

Rescue a chicken and make a friend for life. As some petowners and petsitters know, raising backyard chickens is fun, they make great pets and entertaining companions! Read on to why loving animals means keeping chickens.

Why Animal Lovers Should Consider Raising Backyard Chickens

Raising backyard chickens on grass — Raising backyard chickens can be very rewarding especially with rescued animals

Photo by Thomas Iversen

We can all admit that truly loving animals means leaving them off of your plate. In America, over 8 billion chickens are killed every year for our food; worldwide, this number skyrockets to more than 70 billion.

These are insanely staggering numbers for an unnecessary food source, especially when that source is also a sentient animal.

Animal Lovers Read On

If you’re a card-carrying member of the animal lover’s club, dogs, cats, and maybe even some quirky reptiles have found a cozy spot in your heart and home. But there’s a whole flock of feathery friends waiting to strut into your life – try raising backyard chickens!

You can save a small gang of clucking companions from the dinner table and have them pecking around your backyard. Each new family member will have their own unique personality, quirks, and even a bit of sass. What is more the benefits are you are raising backyard chickens for eggs, there’s a benefit!

Getting prepared for your new chicken friends

While you are reading this article and thinking about those adorable little fuzzballs, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and underestimate the real estate they’ll require. Before you bring some chickens home, you’ll need a coop for them, and the size of your coop is crucial for the well-being of your feathered friends.

In fact, the size of your coop is directly proportional to the happiness and health of your flock. Think about it like this: cramming too many chickens into a small space is like trying to fit a dozen people into a phone booth – it’s crowded, uncomfortable, and nobody’s having a clucking good time.

To help you determine your coop size, there is a general rule: one nesting box for every three chickens. Think of this as your starting point!

Your chickens are your new kitchen cleanup crew

There are plenty of benefits to keeping backyard chickens, the first of which is that these feathered wonders aren’t just clucking around for fun; they’re actually top-notch garbage disposals in disguise.

You’re in the kitchen, chopping up some veggies for dinner, and inevitably, there are odds and ends that end up in the scrap pile. Instead of tossing those nutrient-rich scraps into the compost bin or, worse, letting them languish in the garbage can, you can turn to your trusty flock of feathered friends.

Chickens have a palate that rivals even the most adventurous foodies – and lucky for us, they’re not too picky about where their snacks come from. While it’s important to remember that their main diet should consist of poultry feed, these culinary connoisseurs are more than happy to indulge in a smorgasbord of kitchen scraps.

chickens feeding from a human hand — Chickens often become very domesticated as pets, it makes raising backyard chickens a pleasure

Photo by Jasper Gribble

Say goodbye to pesky critters lurking around your yard

Your new backyard chickens are the ultimate bug busters. Whether it’s spiders, slugs, earwigs, or millipedes, these feathered foragers have an insatiable appetite for all things creepy and crawly. So, instead of reaching for the bug spray or setting out traps, you can let your chickens do the dirty work for you.

Not only does this natural pest control solution benefit you by keeping your yard bug-free, but it’s also a win-win for your clucking companions. Bugs are like the chicken equivalent of a gourmet meal – rich in protein and packed with essential nutrients that keep your new pets healthy and happy.

Chickens have personalities that rival even the most charismatic canines and feline friends

Just like their furry pet counterparts, chickens come in all shapes, sizes, and personality types. It’s super entertaining for you or whomever may be looking after your flock while you’re away.

From shy to bold, backyard chickens have a wide range of traits that make them as unique as can be. Once you start spending time with your flock, you’ll quickly realize that each chicken has its own distinct personality shining through.

Once you’ve gathered a gaggle of hens to call your own, and you start raising backyard chickens, you’ll find that as you spend time with them in the coop and yard, you start to notice something interesting.

chicken sitters — Two chickens in a protective cage of netting

Photo by Jane Maskell

There’s the Queen Bee of the Flock

There’s the ‘queen bee,’ strutting around like she owns the place, always first in line for treats and perches proudly at the top of the pecking order. Then, there’s the silly girl, whose goofy antics and clumsy charm never fail to bring a smile to your face, no matter how rough the day has been.

Nestled among the flock, you might also find a sweet, gentle hen who may not be the loudest or most outgoing, but she’ll melt your heart with her affectionate cuddles and soft clucks of contentment.

how to choose chickens depends on why you want hens — Some chickens are very entertaining

Photo by Jane Maskell

So, if you’re considering adding a few feathered friends to your family, and want to start raising backyard chickens, take the time to get to know them. Spend some quality time in the coop, observe their behaviors, and before you know it, you’ll have a front-row seat to the fascinating world of chicken personalities.

When Raising Backyard Chickens – Who Helps When You Are Away

Pet owners, including those with chickens, need pet sitters for when they travel away from home, and that is where we come in! At HouseSitMatch, you’ll find an experienced pet sitter who’ll take care of your flock while you are off exploring. Travel with peace of mind!

How to find housesitters and chicken sitters

If you join one of the best housesitting websites like HouseSitMatch as a Pet Homeowner you can post an advert as soon as you know the dates you’ll be away and try to find a free good pet housesitter for this assignment. Or by using alternative networks you may also be able to find a good professional pet housesitter.

Whether you join a network or find a good pet house sitter it is basically a great investment of a small annual membership subscription. This small investment allows you to be productive without risking your pet’s safety, and keeps pets safe at home.