Have you ever considered raising chickens? Not only can this be a fun past time, but it can also be very frugal. Imagine, you can have free, organic (if you wish) eggs for free whenever you want them. Chickens can also control bugs and weeds on your property. And, from what I recently learned, raising chickens isn’t as hard as I thought. They also don’t cost very much to raise.
I have a special treat for you today. One of our very talented Families.com members has been raising chickens and is very knowledgeable about the subject. She is going to let us know exactly what is involved with raising chickens (hint: you don’t need a lot of land), and how to get started.
Here she is Elizabeth, also known as elizabeth32! This will be a three-part-series, so be sure to check back every day for this interesting interview.
What are the benefits of raising chickens?
The supply of high quality eggs, fertilizer for the garden, insect control (they can’t get enough of earwigs,snails, and slugs), and they are very entertaining to watch. People walking past my yard, after getting over the surprise of seeing the chickens out there scratching around, watch them for a little bit with a smile on their faces.
How long have you been raising chickens?
This is the first year I have ever had chickens. My mother had them as a little girl during the 30’s and 40’s,but didn’t remember much about them.
Why did you decide to raise chickens?
Many years ago I read a book called The Chicken Tractor by Andy Lee. It described a system of combing keeping chickens with gardening to make use of all the birds attributes. This year I finally decided to give it a try. I wanted have better eggs then the ones offered at the store and I wanted to take another step towards self-reliance. Using the internet and reading books, I learned as much as I could very quickly.
Next up: How to get started!
Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans.
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