What came first, the chicken or the egg? It is obviously the chicken, right? I mean, where would an egg come from if it were not laid by a chicken? So the chicken had to have come first. Now I hear your anger, there is no need to shout. You are asking me where the chicken came from and I will answer your question in the very next sentence. The chicken came from an egg. I hear you breathe a sigh of relief as if you have won the argument. I can see the slight smile on your face as you believe yourself to have won the argument but this is not so, for you see, the egg which you are so happy about had to have come from a chicken. So, obviously, the chicken came first.
Now that we have established that, we can get on to the content of this book. You are here to learn everything you need to know about raising backyard chickens. The question which will no doubt be on your mind is, why would I want to raise backyard chickens? The answer to this question is, why not?
The most obvious benefit of raising chickens in your own backyard is the eggs. Most laying hens will lay an egg every day or two. If you were to have three chickens in your backyard then you could expect to have up to three eggs every day. These humble little eggs will be the best eggs which you have ever tasted. They will be more flavorful than the eggs you would buy in the store and more colorful than the rising sun.
If you are raising backyard chickens then there is a good chance that you are composting in your backyard too. If you are not then these little-feathered beasts will take care of your table scraps and turn it into some of the best compost known to man (and woman). The chickens will also take care of the bugs and other small animals which may roam into your yard. When they have processed these scraps or bugs, they will poop all over your lawn (or wherever else you have put them. This compost poop will help your plants and flowers grow like nothing else.
We all love the smell of freshly cut grass but the time saved by not having to mow your lawn will more than make up for that. Let them roam free on your lawn and they will trim it for you. As an added bonus, you do not even need to pay them.