What came first, the chicken or the garden?

[YourGardenDr]

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Some may ask, why do we have chickens on our garden web site? First of all, to answer the title questions, the chicken came before the garden! In other words, the original idea was to get chickens for the eggs not the benefit they would have to our vegetable gardens. Bottom line is, we wanted organic eggs for our family but did not want to pay $5.00 for a dozen (or even more now that egg producers are under tighter controls.) We had no idea of the other perks the chickens would also offered our garden patch.
Every gardener should have chickens!!!

Why do we feel this way? Well, look at it this way, as gardeners, to grow healthy plants, we need healthier soil. Chicken pellets are known to be some of the best fertilizer and can even be purchased (at a premium) at big garden centers such as Lowes and Home depot. Just make sure your age that chicken manure before you use it in your vegetable garden. Overwintering a mulch pile should work well.
In addition, since chickens love to eat just about anything (don’t feed them people food), since we sent them loose into the yard, we have not had to pull weed or mow the lawn. They keep everything nice a trim. Just make sure to keep them out of your vegetable garden with deer guard or they will also eat your tender vegie leaves and even your tomatoes. You certainly don’t want those trimmed down to sticks. If it does happen and they get into your veggies, don’t get too mad, after all, you will get it all back in delicious healthy eggs.
So get as many chickens as you can handle and your local laws allow! Some words of warning, setting up chickens in your yard requires a good bit of effort and money. Just don’t let the cost or time required discourage you. It is well worth it. We estimated that it will take about six months of egg-laying to recoup our original and ongoing cost (which is about $5.00/month per chicken.) And that does not include the free manure and its benefits to our vegetable production, health, wellbeing…!
We wish you a long and healthy life.

 

[b.hromada]

I say my girls are "all natural grass killers"!

Where we used to have grass, we now have weeds! Oh well, like you say, they give us nice, beautiful eggs and of course such sweet company!