Cathy's Kitchen Table: Put Your Chickens To Work as an Organic Exterminating Service

Thanks Amit Patel!

Raising backyard chickens can really be fun! They are great pets, plus they give you delicious eggs for your family to enjoy. It can be expensive to buy feed and bedding for them so, to earn their keep, put these “pest-control” chickens to work in your yard and garden eating insects, worms and weeds. For premium insect control let your chickens out a few hours before sunset. That will give them enough time to fill up on bugs and worms but not enough time to tear up your flowers, grass or vegetables because, when it starts getting dark, they have a natural instinct to head to the chicken coop for the night. Chickens are also happy to eat any table scraps and vegetables that you may give to them. Look at the feed cost you saved! Don't forget your chickens are fertilizing your yard and garden while they “work” free of charge.

Before starting this fun adventure of raising chickens organically, be sure to check the zoning regulations in your area. You can choose to have hens (female chicken), but not a rooster (a male chicken) because a rooster does have a tendency to be a little noisy. Don't worry, though, hens will still lay eggs without a rooster.

Chickens do not require a lot of space, but do need room to stretch their legs. Make sure their area is secure at night when chickens are most vulnerable from night prowling critters such as foxes, raccoons, stray dogs, etc. Also, it is best to have their outdoor pen covered with chicken wire on the top to keep out any hawks and owls that may be in the area. Another good idea is to have a chicken coop and small fenced in yard on wheels so that you can move the coop to different areas and can keep the chickens in a controlled area. There are many plans for chicken coops on the internet.

Choosing your breed is also another fun aspect of raising chickens. There are lots of different breeds to choose from. Some hens lay different colored eggs and some lay an egg every day or every other day. FYI, selling excess eggs is another way for the chickens to pay for their feed. There are a lot of good books to read that will help you get started in raising chickens.

The most healthy chickens are those raised and fed organically. Chickens raised organically are fed a certified organic feed that has no chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides. They are never fed hormones or given antibiotics. Your organic “pest cleanup crew” will work hard for you to provide the healthiest eggs for you to eat, provide exterminating service by eating pesky bugs, loosen your soil with their scratching that makes your work as a gardener easier and, don't forget, they deliver a free lawn and garden “fertilizing service.”

At Cathy's Kitchen Table, my hens Rosie, Reba, Retta, Roxie and Roberta supply me with wonderful organic eggs for delicious breakfast dishes and for all my baking ventures.