Chickens and food security

I understand that not everyone owns a farm. I also understand people are busy. But if we all made a few small changes our lives would be a whole lot different.
Here in Illinois the weather is finally beginning to cooperate. And it's time to start thinking about summer gardens. If you have any room to start a garden then you have room for a couple of chickens. It's easy to add four chickens to your life.And as soon as 16 weeks you could have your own fresh eggs.

This is a black sex link chick. It's one of many breeds of chickens bred to be a great addition to any homestead. Even if you don't have a farm.
Chickens make wonderful pets and they really don't require much.
Finding chickens locally is easy. Now being the perfect time to buy chicks. If you have a farm store like Tractor Supply or Rural King which or both farm store chains here in Central Illinois. The store's not only carry the chicks they carry all the supplies necessary to start enjoying the benefits of having your own backyard chickens.
A 50 pound bag of chick starter feed. A small waterer,small feeder,a small heat lamp and a warm protected corner in your basement or garage is a perfect place to start your little chicks. Within just a few weeks they will be ready to go outside with you to start exploring the yard.

The benefits of having chickens in your life far outweigh the minor inconvenience. There is nothing more rewarding then waking up to your own fresh eggs everyday.

The chickens are also excellent, chemical free pest control. They spend the entire day quietly scratching around in search of bugs. And in the evening they quickly quiet down to wait patiently for a chance to get out and enjoy another day foraging for their food. They can just about exist on nothing but bugs and seeds in the yard. But if you choose not to buy commercial feed then it maybe necessary to supplement their diets with additional nutrients. But as soon as they start laying eggs you will quickly be able to tell if their nutritional requirements are being met. And then you can make changes in their diets to deal with the deficiency quickly.

Those eggs are examples of calcium deficient eggs. A problem quickly remedied by the supplemental feeding of either commercial, organic feed or food scraps from your garden and household.
Soon you will be enjoying adding your own fresh eggs to all of your meals. A Henry is capable of producing an egg a day for years. But even after her egg Laing days are over the enjoyment of just watching them foraging in your yard is enough to make keeping them a joy for years.

I hope I planted a seed for you to consider adding a couple chickens to your life.