The benefits of rearing chicken other forms of poultry, and game birds at your home can be summed up in two words.
Freshness. Traceableability.
“Fresh as the moment when the pod went pop”
As one famous advertising slogan claimed for freshly picked Peas. Well you will have the opportunity everyday to pick your own fresh poultry. Freshness is a feature that is vitally important with purchasing of most food supplies.
The fresher that we obtain vegetables, short life dairy products and of course poultry, the better the end result with our finished meals. Rearing poultry in your own home enables you to achieve this objective. Just imagine the freshly laid egg for breakfast.
Traceability is another key factor. You will know the source and breed of your day old chicks, if you are not raising them yourself. You will be aware of the foodstuffs, nutrients and medical treatment that your flock receives. You will be in charge of the living conditions of your birds to make certain that they have a healthy and safe life.
Can you make these comments about poultry products bought from your butcher or supermarket?
Without doubt the majority of top class suppliers of poultry products endeavour to ensure that they buy as fresh as possible, and upon receipt store in the correct conditions. But unless they are producing the products themselves, which is unlikely, they are dependent on several steps before receiving delivery.
The poultry and egg supplier for one. When were the eggs laid? In most cases nowadays eggs or their packaging are batch coded or date stamped. However this stamping might be of eggs laid several days before.
The supply of fresh meat, either in the form of whole birds or portions, when was it killed? On open meat counters there will usually be no indication of the age of the meat. With some packaged fresh products a best-before date might be indicated. This date will have no relevance to the date that the poultry was dispatched.
After leaving the farm gates your poultry is now in the hands of the haulier, possibly an auction, probably a wholesaler before it reaches the point of sale. Through all of these stages there are standards set out by the governing bodies, with regard to the temperature and conditions which should be met. But are they met all of the time?
With your own supplies virtually on your doorstep, and awaiting to be used in the kitchen you can be in total control of all of those variables.
Rear a varied range of poultry at home
The choice is great and need not be restricted to just chicken. On a scale to meet your needs try rearing Turkey, Duck, Goose or some of the game birds such as Quail, Pheasant, Partridge Grouse and of course the occasional Pigeon. For the keen chef it will be like discovering an oasis in the dessert. A rich abundance of fresh food on your doorstep.
Rearing poultry at home will give you a new hobby
To take your mind off the stresses of every day life seeing the poultry grow and develop is exciting in its own right. Taking some of your time to understand the process, starting from creating your own brooding parlour and coop, to possibly breed specimens to take to shows and exhibitions, will enrich your life. Of course after the initial set up costs you will also be saving money.
Deciding to rear your own poultry is a step worth taking. There are lots of people and sources of information from which to obtain advice. Starting with manuals on DIY Chicken Coops, to detailed instructions on the upkeep of the birds. It is not difficult and can provide great fun for yourself and your family and friends, as well as fresh food on your doorstep.