Is there anything better than fresh eggs?
But what if, in addition to the eggs, your chickens could provide an extra hand (or foot, as it were) in your gardening efforts? Taking advantage of their natural desire to forage is a smart way for gardeners to get a little bit of free labor, and the chickens will love it!
Put them in the garden.
Let them work your compost.
If you’ve had a compost pile for any amount of time, you know how it teems with bugs and grubs.
Those creepy crawlers are a great natural source of protein for the girls. And in their efforts to find those delicious little nibbles, they’ll scratch through your pile, helping to break it down even faster. If your compost is ready for use and you’ll be spreading it in an area that doesn’t need to be protected from chickens, all you need to do is put the compost in a pile where you want it. In no time flat, the chickens will have it spread out for you.
This is a veritable chicken buffet!
Have them shred for you.
Entertainment for them, and nice shredded yard waste mixed with chicken manure for you.
(Once it’s all shredded, you’ll need to set this lovely mixture aside for a month or so to age in order to avoid burning your plants with the fresh chicken manure.)