Chickens are one of the easier and more useful animals to have in your backyard gardens. In permaculture, they are often the example of “each element performing multiple functions.” In other words, having chickens as part of your backyard ecosystem accomplishes several functions at once. Not only can they provide you with eggs and meat but their manure acts as fertilizer for your garden, their feathers and egg shells can be added to your compost piles, and they can help clean up your garden beds.
In my video today, I show you yet another function for chickens and how they can help you prep a new area for installing garden beds. In this particular case, I used my chickens to clear an area of grass. Now that they have cleared the area and added their fertilizer in the process, I can now install my new garden beds.
Chickens, like many animals in a permaculture system, have multiple uses on a homestead. Adopting strategies where their contributions can be maximized is key to building resilient on your site.
Click on the video to learn more!