Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Keeping Chickens
h
12
h
on a Small Scale
Backyard farmers who want to be self-sufficient will need a good source of protein. And one of the
most complete sources of protein available is found in the egg. And on the backyard farm, what an
egg you will receive!
The fresh eggs you'll collect from your backyard chicken flock will be nothing like the average
grocery store-purchased egg. Pasture-raised chickens (this is what you'll be raising) produce eggs
that are far more nutritious (not to mention tasty) than commercially produced eggs. Research
conducted by
Mother Earth News
compared the nutrients of sample eggs with the USDA nutritional
information of the average eggs. What they found is that pasture-raised eggs have a third less
cholesterol, twice the levels of omega-3 fatty acids, at least 50 percent more vitamin A, and higher
levels of folic acid and vitamin B
12
.
You'll notice that these eggs look different as well. Pasture-raised eggs have up to seven times the
levels of beta-carotene, which gives them a noticeably more yellow-orange color. The yolks are
stronger and firmer, and even the egg whites are less watery.
And that same comparison applies to the meat of pasture-raised chickens. A study done in 1999
at Pennsylvania State University tested the nutritional content of the meat and found that pasture-
raised chicken has 20 percent less fat, 30 percent less saturated fat, and twice as much vitamin A
compared to standard, commercially produced chicken.
This chapter covers all the basic information you'll need to get started raising your own flock of
backyard chickens. Even in a small space you will be able to raise enough chickens for fresh eggs
for your family. And if you choose, and have just a touch extra time and space to devote, you can
raise extra chickens specifically for meat production.
Breeds for Backyard Flocks
Some chicken breeds are better suited to a backyard flock than others because the traits that are
bred out of commercial egg-producing chickens are actually traits that might come in handy in a
backyard situation.
Broodiness
means fewer eggs as that hen will stop laying, but it is a free means
