February 2013 14
Do you enjoy scrambled eggs for breakfast? Most eggs bought at the grocery store come from chickens living in small cages inside production facilities, with thousands of birds crammed in together, never getting to go outdoors. Which egg do you think is healthier, one coming from a free range hen living outdoors, scratching around in the dirt eating plants and insects, or one from a hen who lives in a small cage with five other birds, eating processed food and never seeing sunlight or getting to move around? A 2007 study showed that eggs coming from free range hens provide more nutritional benefits than standard supermarket eggs.
You can buy free range eggs at farmers
markets and some grocery stores, but
they are expensive, and not always as
fresh as you may think. So why not
raise your own flock of happy hens in
your own backyard? Imagine gather-
ing fresh eggs the day they were laid,
and watching your happy, healthy birds
scratch and peck around your yard?
Fortunately, that is easier than you
may think. Backyard Chickens are
becoming very popular in America,
because they don't take much space
to raise them. Even if you live in an
urban area, you can still raise a flock
of hens in your garden. Chickens will eat grubs and other bugs that are not good for your garden, and they will leave behind droppings that enrich the soil. If you haven't already realized the benefits of raising chickens, then I should also mention that the birds are cheap to buy, and are a low maintenance animal. Raising chickens is a fun hobby for kids and adults; it makes a great project for kids to learn responsibility and animal science.
Baby Chick
-Khloe Leblanc
Unusual
Head Feathers
-Khloe Leblanc