Benefits of a Backyard Flock

Think back to when you started your backyard flock. What was one big reason you decided to embark on this journey? Was it for eggs? Was it for fun? Maybe for both of those reasons? There are so many benefits to having backyard chickens and eggs are just the tip of the iceberg. This article will feature some of the biggest benefits of having a backyard flock.

1. EGGS! The most obvious and well known perk of keeping chickens is farm fresh eggs. Being able to control what your chickens eat, what medications they get/do not get, ect is a huge plus to raising your own laying hens. If you have enough laying hens you can even sell some of your eggs to local people which could be a little extra income (but who am I kidding…you get money and buy more chickens right!?)Plus you can walk out to your backyard in the morning and grab breakfast! What’s better than that?

2. In relation to number one; having hens that provide your family with eggs makes you less reliant on big commercial egg producers which is very beneficial to the environment as a whole. Large chicken farms are notorious for harsh and inhumane treatment of chickens. Each backyard flock helps reduce the number of commercial eggs needed little by little.

3. Meat. This may be a touchy subject for some but the truth is chickens are a source of meat for a lot of people. Being able to control what goes into your meat is very important to most. Store bought chicken can be low quality and full of antibiotics which is not preferable to some families. There does come a time when hens stop laying and at the point some people decide to make the hen into chicken dinner for their family. Knowing the quality of the meat you’re eating is a huge benefit of having a backyard flock.

4. Walking garbage disposals. Okay maybe not garbage disposals per se but chickens love kitchen scraps! No more wasting parts of fruits and vegetables that you don’t eat. Give it to the gals in the backyard! It’s a win win situation. We love to feed our hens cucumbers, grapes, and cherries just to name a few. Disclaimer: snacks should only make up about 10% of your chickens diet. Their main source of nutrition should come from their feed. Overfeeding snacks can cause various health problems.

5. Expanding on benefit number four; you feed the chickens, they poop amazing fertilizer for your garden! It’s a fabulous revolving door! They fertilize your fruits and veggies and you pay them back in table scraps! How awesome to be able to sufficiently grow your own garden by using your very own fertilizer.

6. Insect control! Chickens love to eat a variety of insects such as spiders, Japanese beetles, earwigs and ticks just to name a few. Not only does this keep the pesky insect population down, but bugs are a naturally nutritious treat for your flock. Plus, finding insects is fun for the chickens!

7. Companionship/friendship. I know many chicken keepers don’t view their hens and roosters as pets but I also know a lot of us do. There is something so special about going out in the morning to feed your flock and being greeted by chickens that are happy to see you. I have two girls, ages six and two who absolutely adore our four hens. I will follow this by saying, not all of our hens are super friendly and we respect their space but a few of our chicks love to be snuggled which brings all of us tremendous happiness. Personally this benefit is on the top of my list. I love coming home from work and sitting outside next to the coop watching and listening to my hens. If I’m having a bad day you can most likely find me near the coop.

Chicken snuggles are good
for the soul.

8. Last but not least, and one of my favorite benefits, is backyard entertainment! Chickens are so fun to watch. They are quirky, silly and full of personality. When you talk to them they listen and tilt their heads because clearly they have no idea what you’re saying. They will also talk back. I can imagine the people walking past my house might think I’m a little crazy when they see me sitting beside the coop peeping and squawking with my hens. My girls even talk to our chickens and expect an answer in return. Our flock is such a huge source of happiness in our home. There is not a day that goes by that we don’t laugh at something one of our hens did.


She has no idea what I’m talking about, clearly.

I hope you enjoyed this quick read about some of the benefits of keeping a backyard flock. What is the biggest benefit for you? Let me know below in the comments!