Backyard hens also garden, exterminate pests and compost food waste.
Raising backyard chickens may not be a viable option for everyone, but around Greater Boston it's more of an option than you may think! There are a myriad of benefits even a small flock of 3 or more hens can provide, far beyond the variety and quality of eggs they produce. Just a few compelling reasons why chicken-keeping may be right for you:
Compost Food Waste. Feed your flock kitchen scraps instead of throwing them in the trash. They then poop out nitrogen-rich fertilizer for you to compost with leaves and other untreated yard waste for an invaluable organic soil builder for your garden. Just 2,000 households (one sixteenth of the number of households in Somerville) raise three hens, could divert 252 tons of waste from landfills annually.
Organic Pest Extermination. Chickens love to eat protein-packed insects, including ticks(!), serving as an organic pest-cleanup crew in your yard and garden. They also love to eat many weeds, and can serve as post-harvest garden bed gleaners, making backyard gardening easier than ever.
On-Call Therapy. Stress-lowering oxytocin is naturally released when you hug someone you love, or even pet your dog or cat. Anyone who has raised backyard chickens can attest the same effect holds true for hens, whose big personalities make them wonderful family pets. Yes, there are actually hens employed as therapy chickens! Will listen for feed and water.
Curious about keeping your own backyard chickens and what this entails? Complete the short form for upcoming workshops, coop designs, regulatory requirements (city-specific) and more!
