The Environmental Benefits of Raising Backyard Chickens

There are many benefits to raising backyard chickens. They’re great pets, good educational tools, and they provide you with plenty of fresh eggs. They can also be great for the environment by helping you live a more sustainable lifestyle. Here’s how:

Fresh eggsThe Environmental Benefits of Raising Backyard Chickens

As we said before, having a constant supply of fresh eggs is just one of the many benefits to raising backyard chickens. This can also help the environment since your money won’t be going towards factory farming that uses hormones and subjects chickens to abhorrent conditions. These factory farms, according the EPA, are “a significant source of water pollution” due to the amount of waste they produce. Meanwhile, raising backyard chickens is a far more sustainable and ethical way to produce eggs.

Pest control

Herbicides and pesticides can be extremely detrimental to your yard, your flock, and the environment. Chickens, however, can act as your very own pest control team. Chickens are omnivores, meaning they will love eating the plants, weeds, and insects that might be harassing your yard.

Fertilizer

Frankly put, chickens poo quite a lot. However, there is a plus side to this, as chicken feces can make great fertilizer. Often described as “black gold,” chicken manure carries high amounts of nitrogen. When mixed with grass clippings and leaves, the waste eventually decomposes into nitrates which can be used as fertilizer. However, due to the amount of ammonia found in chicken waste, this process can take a while, typically six to nine months.

Chickens are a great addition to anyone’s backyard. If you’re thinking about raising backyard chickens, then look through our available breeds here at Chickens for Backyards today.