5 Reasons We Love Our Backyard Chickens

You’ve heard them before. All those sayings about best friends. Diamonds are a girls’ best friend. Man’s best friend is a dog. Well I’m going to just start saying that woman’s best friend is a chicken. You think I’m crazy, which is totally fine, I actually already know and admit it. I am a crazy chicken lady and turning into a plant lady. I’m also totally ok with these things. I also think that if you’ve ever really considered or wanted backyard chickens, you should do it! There are a few things you’ll need to buy to create a home for them, but once you’re set up, it’s smooth sailing. That said, I still need to get a new fence installed to make sure the chickens are kept safe from any unwanted pests (foxes!!). I was talking to a friend who recently got a new fence installed and she told me to head to Illinois Fence Company. The chicken coop is pretty sturdy but I want to get a fence installed just so I can be sure they’ll be safe. Particularly in Winter when the foxes come out! The most important thing is that the chickens are safe. It’s all that matters to me! I could probably list about 50 reasons I love our chickens, but here’s 5!

1. Eggs // Delicious fresh eggs. My go to when I don’t know what to cook is eggs. Yes we have a bunch in the fridge but this has always been the case for me. Scrambled eggs and a biscuit? Yes! Fried egg sandwich? Double yes! They are easy to cook, delicious, and have been proven to be more nutritious than most store bought eggs. 
2. Cut down on waste // When the fridge gets cleaned out, the girls get a treat. They enjoy it and I enjoy feeling like I didn’t totally waste food and $$$. Yes, they mainly eat layer pellets plus whatever they scratch and peck from the yard but a nice little treat is a favorite. And I kinda like watching a chicken carry a piece of pizza. 
3. Lessons in Where Food Comes From // I was raised to know that a hamburger came from a cow and bacon from a pig. Sometimes I even knew that the steak we were eating was Cow X. Like it had a name. It never bothered me. I knew from the beginning that the cattle where being raised for purposes. Whether the purpose was to feed us/others or maybe produce other cattle. We want our kids to know where food comes from and to appreciate the work that goes into it. Feeding yourselves or a nation is a big responsibility that farmers have. Our children need to understand and respect that. 
4. Teaching Responsibilities // Dogs have to be fed. Chickens have to be fed. Eggs have to be picked. Garden has to be watered. Simple things but it’s nice to see the kiddos learning and accomplishing chores. It’s also nice that we can pass the chores onto the kids or just have a little help.
5. Therapy // First I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with going to therapy. But being outside with the chickens (and the garden) have truly been life giving. It’s a nice slower pace. We’re only there to do our part and we have to have patience while God does his. It’s really a true giving-up of being in control and waiting. Yes there are things that become stressful, like 3 inches of snow, but it’s mostly things that you just figure out and make it work. If you end up only growing one bite, yes I said bite, of broccoli, then that’s what you get. Next year try something new.