Natural pest control
Chickens love to scratch and peck around in the dirt, which means they can be great at keeping pests like slugs and snails at bay. They'll also eat up any insects they can find, which can help keep your garden healthy and pest-free.
Fresh eggs
As we’ve already mentioned, one of the most obvious benefits of keeping chickens is having access to fresh, delicious eggs. There's nothing quite like collecting your own eggs each morning and using them in your cooking or breakfast. Plus, eggs from backyard chickens are often healthier and tastier than those from commercial sources.
Use them in some of our yummy recipes:
Eggs with Spinach, Leek and Feta
Fertiliser
Chicken manure is a fantastic natural fertiliser that can help your plants thrive. It's high in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are all essential for plant growth. Plus, if you have a compost pile you can add your chicken's bedding and manure to it to create even more nutrient-rich soil.
Entertainment
Chickens are fun to watch and can provide endless entertainment for you and your family. They have their own personalities and quirks and watching them scratch around in the garden or interact with each other can be quite amusing.
Education
If you have children, keeping chickens can be a great way to teach them about where their food comes from and how to care for animals. They can also learn valuable life skills like responsibility and empathy.
Sustainability
By keeping chickens in your backyard, you're taking a step towards a more sustainable lifestyle. You're reducing your reliance on commercial sources of eggs, and you can also feed them some of your food scraps as a supplement to their everyday feed. (Food scraps should only make up 10% of their diet).
Visit rspca.org.au for more information about keeping and caring for chickens and what you should feed them.
Regulations do vary within local council areas, so make sure you check with them first if you are considering keeping chickens.
Check out these tips from the Department of Health about keeping backyard chickens safely.
