We reckon keeping chickens is pretty rad: A little bit frugal, a little bit feral and a little bit fancy.
Here are some pros (and cons) of keeping chickens in your garden, according to Auckland urban gardener, Phoebe Atkinson.
Whether you’ve heard of ‘The Belgium Chicken Experiment’ or not, word on the street (at Phoebe’s garden, Ngā Kaupeka, at least) is that keeping chickens is a very good thing.
Good for quite a number of reasons. Apart from the daily joy of collecting fresh eggs straight from the source, they’re great backyard companions, adding life and character with their clucks and antics. The plumage of the heritage breeds, in particular, is a fine feature fossicking amongst the fruit trees. They’re wonderfully entertaining for the kiddos (catch ‘em if you can!) And if they come to you as chicks, I challenge you to name a cuter pet!
But perhaps their greatest contribution to the backyard gardener is their help in turning food scraps and garden waste into a valuable garden resource.
The benefits of keeping chickens
At Ngā Kaupeka, our goal is to operate as close to zero kerbside rubbish as possible when it comes to organic waste from our property. Anything that is biodegradable is seen as an input for the compost system – either as a source of nitrogen (kitchen scraps, lawn clippings etc), or a source of carbon (autumn leaves, cardboard, paper/compostable packaging).
The compost ‘system’ (beside the bins themselves) also incorporates a worm farm, bokashi bins and chickens. While obviously not an essential component, the chooks are like the jewel in the compost crown, orchestrating their own perfect circular system.
The chickens live in the orchard where the compost bins are situated, and jump up into the bin to deal to the kitchen and garden waste daily. Their pecking and scratching breaks it all up and aerates the compost thereby speeding up the decomposition process.
They also produce a manure that’s an ideal fertiliser, automatically deposited to the fruit trees in the orchard. And of course, they produce eggs, an ideal food source for us!
The realities of keeping chickens
In a bid to be transparent, don’t be fooled that they’re the perfect garden addition. Chickens are not without cross marks.
The downsides?
- Their manure does attract flies and can smell like a farmyard if not covered.
- They can be noisy when they’re announcing an egg is imminent.
- A certain amount of weekly/fortnightly maintenance is required to keep the coop clean.
- Though not frequent, pests such as red mites can require additional attention for both birds and coop.
- Every now and then an egg bound chook can turn you into more of a hands on vet than you ever wanted to be!
But all said and done, we reckon keeping chickens is pretty rad. A little bit frugal, a little bit feral and a little bit fancy.
But don’t just take our word for it. Back to that research. The Belgian Chicken Experiment. Google it.
