Why Have Chickens?

Why raise chickens? Because they’re the pet that makes you breakfast. They bring home good food and belly laughs. Chickens are quirky, beautiful, and oddly clever. They come in countless colors, shapes, and varieties, and there’s not a culture on the planet that doesn’t raise them. These hardy birds will teach you basic livestock handling and amaze you with their individual character traits. More good news: They don’t break the bank. A handful of chicks will cost less to purchase than a large pizza and require less effort than your house cat.

You in so far? Good.

Another reason to raise chickens is the quality of your own free-range eggs, which will bowl you over. No more watery whites and pale yolks. You are in for the richness of a country hen’s egg — eggs scientifically proven to be lower in cholesterol and higher in omega-3 fatty acids, keeping you and yours healthier with every new arrival in the nest box. Not to mention these eggs will improve your lovely baked goods and make your omelets tastier.

And my favorite reason to raise chickens: They add life and vigor to your home, turning houses into homesteads and children into naturalists. Pouring scratch grains into a metal bin, closing the coop door at night, mending a hole in the fence so the fox stays at bay — these actions connect us to our food and to our past. Trust me. It’s a better life that comes with morning clucks.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to live down a country road to keep chickens. Even if you live on the corner of a four-way stop in Portland, given proper care and a little room to flap their wings these gals can adapt and thrive in any environment. What you do need is a little bit of space, some research, and a city ordinance that allows laying hens.

Turns out this isn’t asking too much because nowadays people are keeping chickens in places no one considers cliché. Young couples in suburbia have Ameraucanas perching on flowerpots and kids racing past Wyandottes when they fly out the back door to jump into the car for football practice. They’re keeping these birds because they want to know where their food comes from, sure, but they’re also keeping them because having chickens is fun and easy, and it’s hard to be bored mowing your lawn when a trio of hens is waddling behind you for the free salad bar.

Besides feeding you breakfast, chickens are always good for a laugh.

Post was written for Mother Earth News. See original posting here.

Text by Mars Vilaubi
Photograph © Mars Vilaubi