Ideas for Raising Chickens

Chickens are Zindispensable farm animal. Not only do they provide eggs and meat, but they are also extremely independent and only require minimal inputs. To raise chickens in a backyard setting, you´ll need a small chicken coop (check out this Pinterest page for ideas) that includes a brooding area where you´ll keep your baby chickens warm, some nests where hens can lay eggs, and a caged-in sleeping area. During the daytime, you can let your chickens run free on the “range” of your yard. Chickens have a natural tendency to scratch, and they can function as a “natural pest control” as they search for and eat grubs and other lawn-damaging insects.

One of the main challenges with chickens is that they can be noisy, mainly if you include a rooster or to try and hatch your baby chickens. While many cities are updating their ordinances to allow for backyard chicken raising, there is no better way to anger your neighbors than a rooster that wakes them every morning at 4 AM. If you do want a rooster (and you´ll need one if you plan on harvesting fertile eggs that can hatch into new chicks), consider the Faverolles and Barred Rocks breeds. These breeds are relatively quiet, especially if you maintain a minimum ratio of 1 rooster to 6 hens.

During the winter, your chickens will only need a bit of supplemental feed and lots of fresh hay to put into their coop. The mixture of straw or hay and chicken poop can go into the compost bin for an extra dose of nitrogen that your plants will love in the springtime. Chickens love eating through your kitchen scraps. They are a simple way to get rid of your food waste, which is a surprisingly significant contributor to household greenhouse gas emissions.

Ideas for Raising Rabbits

Rabbits are adorable. They are also one of the most relaxed backyard animals to raise in small settings. Raised cages placed over a bin filled with sawdust, straw, or other “dry” material make it easy to avoid the sometimes unpleasant smell of rabbit urine. You can keep your rabbits in a raised cage made from a heavy-duty chicken wire during the night and then “pasture” them on your lawn during the day by placing them in a movable “rabbit tractor.” Moving rabbits into your garden after harvest is a quick way to get rid of unwanted vegetation and prepare the soil for the next planting.

Supplemental rabbit feed is relatively inexpensive, and establishing a morning routine of cutting weeds for your rabbits to munch on is a great way to start a day. It is essential to understand, however, that rabbits reproduce exceptionally quickly, meaning you will either have a steady supply of high-protein, healthy meat or need to find a home for your quickly increasing colony of rabbits.