10 Benefits Of Keeping Chickens

10 Benefits Of Keeping Chickens

There are many benefits of keeping chickens, which explains why more and more people across the UK are choosing to keep small flocks in their gardens. With over 750,000 chicken keepers in the country, this growing trend is about more than just fresh eggs — it’s a lifestyle that offers a range of personal, practical and environmental rewards.

Whether you live in the countryside or the suburbs, keeping chickens can be a fun, fulfilling and sustainable part of daily life. Here are ten of the most meaningful benefits of keeping chickens.

1. Enjoy fresh, tasty eggs from your own hens

One of the best-known benefits of keeping chickens is access to freshly laid eggs. Backyard eggs tend to have a richer flavour and brighter yolk than shop-bought alternatives, and they’re guaranteed to be fresh. You’ll also know exactly how your hens are cared for — their welfare, feed, and living conditions are all in your hands.

Many keepers find that their hens lay more eggs than they can eat, especially in spring and summer. That gives you the option to share surplus eggs with neighbours or sell a few locally, helping offset feed costs.

2. Reduce waste and live more sustainably

Chickens are brilliant for cutting down food waste. While they can’t eat everything, they’ll happily polish off unused vegetable leaves, fruit scraps, and more. This reduces what goes in the bin and adds variety to their diet. However, please remember that DEFRA regulations mean you shouldn’t feed scraps that have passed through your kitchen. Any suitable offcuts should be collected before food prep..

Their droppings, once composted, become rich, nitrogen-heavy fertiliser that boosts your soil health. Add in recycled bedding like straw or wood shavings, and your coop waste becomes a powerful addition to the compost heap.

Together, these habits make chicken keeping one of the most accessible and practical ways to reduce waste and live more sustainably.

3. Improve your mental wellbeing

Time spent caring for chickens can be surprisingly therapeutic. Their gentle clucking, routine behaviours and amusing antics can bring calm to a stressful day. The daily rhythm of feeding, cleaning, and egg collecting provides structure and a sense of purpose — even on difficult days.

Being outdoors, even for short periods, is also linked to better mental health. For people managing anxiety, low mood or burnout, chickens can offer a soothing connection to nature and a reason to step outside.

4. A rewarding and educational hobby

Keeping chickens is far more engaging than simply collecting eggs. It’s a hands-on, seasonal hobby with plenty to learn, whether it’s spotting signs of illness, maintaining a clean coop, or understanding different breeds and their behaviours.

You might even take things further by hatching chicks, experimenting with rare breeds, or joining local poultry groups and shows. However far you take it, chicken keeping is a skill-building hobby that keeps you learning and growing.

5. Great pets with big personalities

Chickens are full of character. Each hen has her own quirks — some are bold and nosy, others quiet and affectionate. Many will come when called, follow you about the garden, and even perch on your lap for a bit of company.

While they don’t fetch sticks or chase balls, chickens are entertaining, curious and intelligent animals that quickly become part of the family. For many people, the companionship they provide is just as rewarding as their egg-laying.

6. Teach children care and responsibility

For families, chickens are a brilliant introduction to animal care. Children can help with daily tasks like feeding, checking water, collecting eggs and observing behaviour. It encourages responsibility, builds empathy, and sparks curiosity about biology, food production, and nature.

Chicken keeping also brings long-term rewards. Children grow up with a deeper understanding of animals, where their food comes from, and how to look after living things with kindness.

7. A step towards self-sufficiency

If you’re looking to do more for yourself, chickens are a great place to start. Producing your own eggs, managing waste through composting, and taking responsibility for animal care all help you become less reliant on supermarkets and supply chains.

While you won’t become completely self-sufficient overnight, chicken keeping helps you build practical habits that support a more independent lifestyle — and it’s scalable too, whether you have space for three hens or ten.

8. One of the lesser-known benefits of keeping chickens: helping preserve rare breeds

Many traditional and heritage chicken breeds are at risk of dying out. By keeping a rare breed, you can help preserve genetic diversity and protect the future of poultry beyond commercial hybrids.

These breeds are often attractive, hardy and docile — ideal for smaller flocks and beginners. Plus, you’ll be helping to maintain a living link to our agricultural heritage, which is something to be proud of.

9. Naturally improve your garden — with a few precautions

Chickens love to forage and are natural pest controllers. They’ll eat slugs, beetles and weed seeds, and their scratching helps break up the top layer of soil. Their composted manure also provides one of the best organic fertilisers available.

That said, chickens aren’t always gentle on gardens. Left unchecked, they’ll happily dig up flowerbeds, scratch away mulch, and turn a neat lawn into bare earth in no time. To keep your garden looking its best:

• Use fencing or low barriers to protect key areas
• Rotate access to different parts of the garden
• Create a designated dust bath or foraging zone
• Do not let chickens have access to plants that are poisonous to them.
• Consider a chicken tractor (a movable run) to limit damage and spread the benefits around. You can find chicken tractors here at Amazon.co.uk

Managed well, they’re a real asset — just don’t expect them to respect your landscaping!

10. Share the experience and inspire others

Once you’ve got a handle on chicken keeping, you’ll probably find yourself sharing your knowledge. Whether that’s helping a neighbour get started, hatching chicks to rehome, or simply chatting about your setup, chickens have a way of sparking conversations and community.

For those who get the bug, it becomes more than a hobby — it’s a way of life. And sharing that with others is one of the most rewarding benefits of keeping chickens.