Should I keep chickens in my back garden? Pros and cons

Pros:

They lay eggs

You can’t beat a fresh egg. 

Well, you can actually. In fact, we’d very much encourage it. For the finest tasting, most nutritious egg available, however, there’s nothing better than one that’s just dropped from the business end of your own chicken. You’ll notice the quality of the egg when you poach one.

Great pets

Chickens all have their own individual personalities and are naturally affectionate towards humans. They can exhibit a whole range of emotions, too; from shy and timid, to bad-tempered and sassy. They can be lots of fun to be around and a great first pet for children.

Natural recycling bins

Chickens won’t turn their beaks up at a whole range of unwanted foodstuffs. Scraps, vegetable peel, overripe fruit are all fair game for your chickens. 

They create excellent fertilizer

Fun fact: chicken manure is positively plump with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium—the key ingredients in lawn and garden fertilizers. One chicken’s waste is another man’s nutritious gold.

cons:

Noise

While some chickens will fill your garden with the gentle buck-buck-bucking of a bird at peace with itself, some varieties will *ahem* make a lot of racket. Our advice would be to do your research first.

Predators

Chickens are, unfortunately, easy prey for a number of natural predators; foxes, cats, owls, dogs, hawks...even weasels. So it’s something to consider before investing in a brood of outdoor cluckers. If your garden is easily-accessible, you might want to think about routinely putting your chickens in their coop before dark.

Chickens can be mean to each other

Chickens, despite their natural charm and placidity, can sometimes be quite aggressive to each other. A feathered bully in your coop might peck, scratch and nip at other chickens, which can be quite distressing. 

Chickens can carry salmonella

Chickens can carry Salmonella germs in their droppings and on their feathers, beaks and feet. If you’re handling chickens, always be sure to thoroughly wash your hands with antibacterial soap and warm water to avoid any unnecessary trips to the hospital!