Keeping chickens is simple and rewarding, and you can keep chickens as easily in a town garden as in the countryside. This ebook aims to give you an honest overview of life with chickens, so you can decide for yourself if keeping chickens is right for you. Many delighted chicken owners in the UK think it's more than worthwhile, but read on to see if you agree!

 

Keeping chickens has lots of benefits, including:

• Your own organic eggs and meat.
You know what you feed your birds, so you know what goes into their eggs and their meat. It's a simple as that. No gas-guzzling food miles to consider either, and your hens live in the best conditions possible with access to fresh air and grass, not some crowded shed.

• Endless hours of fun.
No, we're not being flippant, chickens are wonderful to watch. Children love chickens and once they know how to properly care for them, you have created a more considerate, caring pet owner for life.

• Chickens can win prizes!
Breeding fancy breed chickens opens a whole new world of shows, prizes and glory! Also, across the UK, thousands of small back garden breeders are helping preserve endangered and rare species for the next generation.

• Never buy a bag of fertiliser again.
Chicken droppings make superb garden fertiliser, being rich in potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous. If you can't use it all, local gardeners and allotment owners will be delighted to have it instead. What's more, your chickens can be fed on (non-meat) kitchen scraps, so how's that for organic recycling?