There are many reasons that raising chickens has become a popular hobby to have. One of the reasons is because raising chickens can be inexpensive and it can also be fun. Chickens are fun pets to have as they have a lot of personality and can be quite friendly.
Raising chickens is a practical hobby as well. The eggs that one gets from their own chicken coops are much fresher than the ones that are purchased from the market. Not only that, but eggs taste great and are quite nutritious as well. In addition to those benefits, chicken are helpful in other areas of one's yard and garden.
The help in keeping one's yard bug and weed free, they also help by providing natural aeration and they produce wonderful fertilizer. It doesn't require a great deal of expense or equipment to start raising chickens. The first thing one obviously needs is chickens. There are several types of chickens that one can purchase and it is important that when one purchases their chickens they get the right type of chicken for their needs.
One of the more popular chicken breeds is the Barnevelder chicken. These chickens were used as the primary egg producer for many years in the past. They can produce around 200 brown eggs per year. The Rhode Island Red make wonderful pets and they also produce will keep the nest boxes in the chicken coops filled with eggs as they lay about 300 eggs per year. The chicken breed that one usually finds at state fairs and beauty pageants are the Light Sussex breed.
These birds are also excellent egg producers with about 250 being laid per year. The Buff Orpingon breed is by far the cutest of the breeds. Though these chickens are not the best when it comes to producing eggs, with their fluffy feathers, they will look adorable in the chicken coop.
They are generally calm and friendly although they can be moody at times. Raising chickens can be a fun and productive project for the whole family to take part in. It doesn't require a great deal of upfront money.
In fact the most expensive item is the chicken coop and outdoor run for the chickens. But one can cut that cost by simply building the coop and run themselves.
Raising chickens will be something fun for everyone to work on together and with the unique personalities of the chickens it will provide the whole family with great entertainment as well.