Having backyard chickens is very rewarding. They are great companions, eat insects, produce beautiful eggs and make great fertilizer.

I love all my girls.

I have had chickens for 12 years and enjoy every minute of it. They are easy keepers and are great for children to learn responsibility when taking care of them.

Listening to them and watching them is a real treat. I just lost my White Silkie Rooster last week unexpectedly, he was about 9 years old. I have no idea what happened, but I was devastated to find him dead on the floor. He was beautiful.

In the America that was, many homes had chickens in their backyards. Maybe we should all consider how we can get back to the land and raise a few chickens if your neighborhood permits it. You do not need a huge flock to get fresh eggs and you don’t need a rooster for eggs.

Start small and enjoy a most unique pet, because they will bond with you and become pets.

But, if you plan on having chickens for both meat and eggs, don’t name them. If you name them you will not be able to eat them. My girls are for eggs only, they all have names and I would never consider eating them.

There are some beautiful books on chickens that show the many different breeds. It’s fun to have a mix of different breeds and collect eggs with tinted shells, not just white or brown.

So many beautiful breeds and so little time to explore them all!