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Chickens have been domesticated for many centuries and with very good reason. They originate from the Malaysian rain-forests so they love to free-range, but it’s not absolutely essential. Chickens are such easy animals to care for, can make great pets for children and are a valuable resource for us as gardeners. And I find them very entertaining!

Some of the benefits of keeping chickens:

– they supply you with beautiful, fresh eggs – daily
– your kitchen waste will never go in the trash again (helps the environment and feeds your chickens)
– provide you with an excellent fertilizer base
– they dig over the soil (so you don’t have to)
– they reduce insect numbers; great for around your orchard
– provide you with live entertainment

Check with local authorities

You’ll need to check with your local authorities to find out their particular regulations, especially if you have close neighbors. Some authorities won’t allow you to keep any poultry, whereas others will — some even allow roosters.

Tips for keeping chickens

Dry, predator-proof shelter (get chicken coop plans here)
A safe place to lay eggs (and hatch chicks if you have a rooster)
A roosting perch off the ground (allow about 8 inches/20 cm per bird)
Layer pellets (or crumble for chicks) should make up the majority of their diet.
Kitchen scraps are great for extra variety
Wheat, corn or other grains should be offered occasionally, but not form the majority of their diet
Birds have no teeth; they need to swallow small pebbles or grit to grind down their food in their gizzard. They must have access to a supply of grit for this purpose.
Never feed chocolate, coffee, avocado or rhubarb, as they are toxic to chickens
They must always have access to clean, fresh water.

If you don’t plan on letting your girls free range in a garden area during the day, they will be much happier if you provide them with an outside run where they will be able to scratch at the ground, looking for bugs, indulging in a dust bath and enjoying the sunlight.

I lock my chickens up from sunset to about midday. Usually by then they’ve almost always laid their eggs and I don’t have to go on a daily egg hunt! Old grass-catchers from lawn mowers make great laying boxes – just the right size and they provide ventilation.

Liquid Fertilizer

One of the best organic vegetable gardening tips: Chicken poop makes a great base for liquid fertilizer, or to add to your compost heap to heat it up. You never use it fresh on the garden though, as bird manure also contains their urine and will burn your crops.
To make liquid fertilizer from their manure, place a shovel load in a porous bag (hessian) and place in a bucket, then fill the bucket with water. Best if you use a bucket that has a lid! After about three weeks or so you can use the water on and around your plants. Make sure you dilute it until it looks like weak tea.

Add Chicken Manure to Compost

If you provide a litter of straw, hay or sawdust in your chicken’s living quarters they will turn it into great composting material for you. They will scratch it, add manure and turn it over. You can add layers of this organic matter to your compost heap, especially if you need to activate your compost heat – the urea in chicken manure is a great activator.

As a gardener, I am an absolute enthusiast for keeping chickens. They give so much and really ask so little. If you have the space and your county allows, then I urge you to get a few. If you have more than a little space get as many as you want. You will always find grateful family, friends or neighbors who will take spare eggs from you, or you could put a sign out at the end of your driveway: “Fresh eggs for SALE” and get a few dollars to put back into the kitty.