Think those eggs advertised at the local store as free-ranged are actually pasture raised? Think again. Most poultry farms that advertise their birds as caged free, are actually raised in large poultry houses in crowded conditions and the birds never see the outdoors. If you want the best eggs and poultry meat that you can find, then you want to raise them yourself in conditions that you know are healthy for you and your family.

Raising your own flock will also give you the added benefits of free garden fertilizer, natural insect control in your yard and garden, the freshest of eggs (free from any added chemicals) and when the hens are through laying in a few years, you have the added benefit of fresh chicken for the pot. Poultry also are great livestock to start out with for the new homesteader. Many cities and towns are now allowing city dwellers to have as many as five or six hens in their own back yards inside the city limits. This is a new trend that some are calling the "urban chicken movement" and it is making the news almost on a daily basis. And why not, caring for chickens is easier than most other pets and without a rooster in the mix, they are relatively quiet and make good household pets.