BENEFITS OF RAISING POULTRY AND/OR GAME BIRDS

Watch in the yard - relaxing & fun.
Help control bug populations including flies, mosquitoes and ticks - especially guineas.
Eggs - scrambled, boiled, deviled, egg salad, over-easy, souffles, quiche, noodles, egg drop soup, omelets, meringue, homemade mayonnaise, & custard are favorites.
Meat - if you’re the type of person to butcher your own birds. It is a real treat to have fresh chicken for dinner and a real sense of pride that you have raised that bird.
Incubate your own eggs & watch babies hatch - good teaching opportunity for kids.
Family project to build pen, feed birds, gather eggs, etc.
Teach children responsibility and respect for animals we use as food.
With most any size flock, you can sell enough Ungraded Country Eggs to compensate your feed bill - making the birds, your family’s eggs, etc. a “free” venture.
Chicken manure is great nitrogen-based fertilizer to incorporate into your garden or flower beds.
Built-in alarm clock in Roosters.
For guineas or turkeys especially, “guard dogs” to let you know when anything is amiss or company arrives. Guineas are very good to protect other poultry or livestock from predators - they sound the alarm when anything unusual takes place. Also good for kids missing curfew/sneaking out!
Endless supply of feathers. Good for crafts, scout projects, feather pillows, etc.
Poultry can be used to help clear or keep down weeds and many varieties love foraging.
Choose an endangered rare breed of turkeys or chickens and help preserve some of America’s history. (See The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy at www.albc-usa.org for information on historic breeds that need help from people like you!)
The rare heritage breeds of turkeys are easier to raise than commercial-type varieties and can reproduce naturally; whereas the others cannot.
The soft call of bobwhites is especially soothing to listen to close by.
Choosing a Coturnix Quail variety may bring you birds that can be eaten or that lay eggs in as little as 6 - 7 weeks. Because they are small, birds can be cooked or spiced differently to suit a variety of tastes and preferences. Good for finicky eaters!
Button Quail are lovely little birds who are very useful to pick up spilled feed in poultry houses or aviaries and typically get along okay with other types of birds.
Raising your own poultry is an inexpensive way of providing your family with clean, organic, fresh and healthy meat products.
Even in most cities, a small number of hens may be kept for family egg production. Crowing roosters may be limited, but for eating eggs a rooster isn’t necessary.
Eggs are also a good occasional substitute for shampoo or conditioner and is good for your hair! Great when you have too many extras or some older eggs.
You may enjoy exhibiting your poultry at shows. Great for 4H, too.

If you know something I forgot, feel free to let me know!



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