I was stunned when my husband suggested we raise chickens:

My reaction:  “If you think I’m cleaning the coop, you’re crazy!”

My daughters’ reaction:  “Finally…we get to own pets!”

Our broiler chicks on 5.30.19

Despite the cuteness factor (they don’t stay cute for long by the way), I started compiling a list in my head as to why we should not embark on this journey:

• • Limited space- we only own 1/3 of an acre
    
  • They’re dirty and smelly
  • Cost considerations- coops and feed
  • Protecting them from predators

This all happened about six years ago.  Diligently ignoring my concerns (why is my family so good at that?), my husband Joe, and daughters Chrissy and Cara loaded up in the truck and went to the local feed store, Long Horn, and returned with eight egg layer chickens.  To my dismay, the girls had immediately named the flock and to this day they swear they know who’s who.

Fresh eggs ready to be used.

Fast forward to the present:  As a family, we all cooperate to take care of the chickens.  We have plenty of fresh eggs.  Besides the egg layers, we raise broiler chickens (otherwise known as meat birds) every year.  My list of excuses proved correct:  the chickens do take up space, they’re definitely dirty and smelly, predators have snagged a few, and raising chickens has not been beneficial to our pocket book.

So you might be surprised when I say that looking back over the past few years, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I encourage others to raise chickens.  This is why it matters:

Respect:  I never thought that I would be writing about respecting chickens, but evidently it is a new day.  Like a majority of families in Maine, we eat meat.  Regardless of our carnivore lifestyle, we do respect chickens as living things that deserve a high quality of life.  Buying chicken breast at the grocery store may seem easier or the more humane option, but a majority of the food industry’s methods of manufacturing and harvesting chickens are atrocious.  If more people raised their own birds for food consumption they could provide chickens a healthy diet, ensure that they are not cramped in crates, and let them truly free-range on the property as much as possible.

Egg layer chickens in front of their coop.

Chrissy comparing a double yolked egg with a regular sized egg both produced from our chickens.

Quality of meat and eggs:  As I mentioned, when we feed our chickens we ensure that they are fed quality food and scraps, encourage them to wander in the garden to eat bugs, and don’t use any antibiotics during their lifespan.  Therefore, the meat and eggs produced are already at a better standard than those offered in the mainstream market.

Benefits to the garden and lawn: My husband uses a corral system to change the areas where the chickens may roam.  In the early spring, he sets up an impermanent fence in the garden where they can naturally till the soil, eat unwanted larvae, and consume seeds that were not broken down in the compost pile.  These actions reduce plant diseases, insect infestation, and the amount of weeding later in the growing season.  In the late spring throughout the summer, he corrals them outside the garden, where they can eat bugs and ticks on the lawn.  Once the garden has been harvested, the chickens are again re-introduced, where they break up plant matter.

Want to get started?

Here are a few great resources:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-beginners-guide-to-backyard-chickens/

https://homesteadersofamerica.com/basics-raising-chickens/

What is your stance on the debate?

Would you raise chickens in the suburbs?  Why or why not?  Share your thoughts by posting below!