Types of Chickens

• Chickens scratching among strawberry plants.chickens image by Jeroen de Haan from Fotolia.com
  
  Bantams are small chickens weighing less than 2 lbs. There are many different breeds of bantams, and they come in a wide range of colors and patterns. There are many breeds to choose from in the full-size birds as well. Full-size chickens are classified as light breeds, heavy breeds and exotics.
  
  

Chicken Behavior

• Chickens are flock animals. They like to stay close together while they hunt for food, roll in the dirt for a dust bath or simply lie in the sun, soaking up heat. They are always on the alert for danger and will run for cover at the first sign of a hawk, fox or other predator.
  
  A group of hens with a rooster in attendance is entertaining and educational to watch. The rooster will spend most of his time pointing out choice bits of food to the hens, who pay little or no attention to him. It is also his job to watch out for predators so the hens can concentrate on foraging. The rooster has an alarm call that tells the hens danger is present. He also has an "all clear" call to signal when the danger is past and it is safe to go foraging again.
  
  It is best to limit your chickens' time in your garden to the end of the day, when they have had plenty to eat already and are less likely to destroy tender green plants.
  
  

Chickens as Composters

• Chickens eat the same kinds of things that people eat, including grains, vegetables and fruit. They also eat meat, though it is best to limit their consumption to bugs and worms. Chickens turn food scraps into rich, organic manure that adds nutrients to your garden soil, so consider locating your chicken coop near your garden. Instead of using a compost pile, toss your garden weeds and waste in with your chickens.
  
  

Chickens on Pest Patrol

• Chicken can be given free rein at the end of the season as your garden clean-up crew. Your flock will make short work of end-of-season garden pests hiding in dead foliage and weed seeds of all kinds, while leaving soil-enriching manure behind.
  
  

Chicken Tractors

• A chicken tractor is a small chicken coop that can be moved easily each day to a new location. Usually the bottom of the coop is open, so the chickens can scratch the soil and deposit manure all day long over a relatively small space.
  
  Rotating the placement of the chicken tractor ensures that you won't have to clean out a chicken house. It also distributes the nutrient-rich chicken manure around your property. For example, a 4-by-8 chicken tractor can be placed over a 4-by-8 raised bed of bolted lettuce plants. The chickens will eat the lettuce as well as any bugs or weed seeds, and leave behind nutrient-rich chicken manure for the next crop.