Raising Backyard Chickens For Eggs

by chicken house plans on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009 | Comments Off

It's a fact, keeping pet chickens is really taking off. All over the country, backyards are becoming home to harems of feathered ladies, peacefully clucking away as they peck at the ground in search of tasty morsels. More and more people are finding that a hen or two in the back yard can be both soothing and entertaining as well as productive.

So why is this?

Maybe it is the ever growing concern about where our food comes from. Knowing that those delicious eggs have been produced by a happy flock of hens that are able to roam free and are not force fed any body building chemicals, is a comfort to many.

You may be surprised to know that many folk actually find chickens very appealing pets. They are funny animals, are relatively easy to keep, do not require a lot of room and they do not need to be taken for long walks every day.

They are also very effective in ridding your garden of unwanted pests and having feasted on those unwanted garden invaders, they then provide an extra service by regularly supplying free garden fertiliser. Chicken manure is recognised as being a particularly effective natural fertiliser because of its high nitrogen content.

But it is those delicious healthy eggs that is the main reason that most people decide to keep chickens. Eggs are rated one of the best sources of high quality protein and fresh, free range eggs are so superior to those that you buy in the local supermarket.

So it's really not surprising that keeping pet chickens has become so popular but isn't it costly and time consuming?

On the contrary, start up costs are relatively low and once established, your flock need very little maintenance. The main outlay is providing suitable housing for your feathered friends to ensure that they are kept safe and comfortable. If you have enough room in your backyard you are ready to start.

Of course, getting the right advice and guidance is very important if you are to keep your hens happy and in the egg laying mood. This is particularly so when choosing a home for your ladies. While a well built Chicken Coop is a necessity, it need not be expensive and you could well consider building your own. This would certainly save a great deal of money and would definitely add to the fun aspect of your project.

So there you have it, delightful amusing pets that rid your garden of pests, provide rich fertiliser but above all regularly produce those delicious eggs. All they need is suitable home. Why don't you join in on the fun?

If you think that keeping pet chickens is for you, then get the best guidance available from someone with many years experience in poultry farming. You will be able to quickly create a self sustaining mini-farm that produces those fresh organic eggs, daily. Whether you are master craftsman or complete beginner you will quickly produce a safe, secure and comfortable home for your chickens and something that you can be really proud of. Visit http://backyardchickenraising.info

Raw egg eating dog?

My dog is a 6 year old male Cocker Spaniel/Dachshund. We have about 16 chickens in our backyard we raised for eggs. They have a large, wooden coop with a ramp in their area, which is fenced off with chicken wire. My dog crawls under the chicken wire, walks up the ramp, steals an egg out from under a hen, goes back under the chicken wire, breaks it open on our deck and eats it. It's hilarious watching him do it. Why does he do this?

Raw eggs rob the dog's system of Biotin.