Helping in the Garden
My chickens spent most of last winter camped out on top of various garden beds in my yard. I put their chicken tractor on the raised beds, and "the girls" provided the fertilizer for this summer's crops. (I added straw to balance the high-nitrogen manure.) Within a month of moving the birds off, each bed had beautiful, worm-filled soil.
Creating Companionship
I had never realized how nice it is to hang out with chickens. They make happy little noises all day long. They also make other sounds we've learned to recognize--like what my son translated as "Look, look, look EEEGG!" when they want to make an announcement. They each have a unique personality. I like to be with them!
Being Neighborly
Best of all, chickens are like magnets for attracting friends. There is the man who whistles to the birds every time he walks past my yard. One of my neighbors often brings over "past their prime" fruits and veggies, while another neighbor pokes weeds through the fence for the chickens to eat. A young family stops their car to get a closer look and the kids are excited to be able to pet a chicken. The whole neighborhood comes together around a few little birds!
This YouTube author experienced the same thing:
If you want to learn about other chicken talents, I recommend the book City Chicks by Patricia Foreman. Click here to order it from Amazon.com. 
2 comments:
I was hoping to raise a few chickens in down town Enumclaw, but I was told if we let them roam, our entire back yard/deck/patio would be covered in pooh. If we kept them in a chicken tractor, the ground underneath would be ruining. Sounds like we got some bad info??
It depends on the number of chickens and the size of your yard, but--yes--the manure can be an issue.
I keep my chickens in the chicken tractor because the City says they must be "enclosed." Perhaps my fenced yard would be enough, but I decided to not push it.
Anyway, now that my chickens (7 birds) are full-grown, they do produce a lot of pooh. I move my chicken tractor every day (the hens like the fresh grass anyway), and I rake up much of the manure and put it in my compost bin. It doesn't take long--5 to 10 minutes each morning--and it's how I keep peace with my husband who cares more about his lawn than about my chickens!
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