It wasn’t all that long ago when chickens were a common sight around homes just as much as cats and dogs are today. While commercial food production has nearly eliminated the need to raise chickens and eggs for food, there is still a lot of value associated with keeping chickens now as well as in a SHTF scenario. Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons why chickens can be one of the best resources to have on hand for anyone who wants to adopt a more self-sufficient way of life.
Chickens for Food
Chickens are generally-easy to raise as long as their eggs can incubate properly, and they only take a few months to reach maturity. Consequently, you can easily develop a system that gives you a steady supply of chicken all year long. Not only will this provide you with an excellent source of meat, but you can also use them as currency by selling or bartering them as well.
Chickens for Eggs
Chickens can produce eggs at an amazing rate, sometimes as much as one per day. Consequently, you can easily establish a system to give you a perpetual supply, and you can also produce excess amounts in order to barter or sell them as well. There are also about a dozen different, common egg-laying breeds to choose from, and this means that it will be easy to find the best one for your environment and overall needs.
Chickens for Breeding
Breeding chickens isn’t a difficult process once you understand the basics, and one or two roosters can impregnate an entire brood of hens in a short amount of time. You can easily create a system that will give you a steady supply of new chickens that will replace the ones that you’re eating, but you can also sell or barter roosters and breeding hens.
Chickens Leave a Small Footprint
You don’t need a lot of land or space to raise chickens, and they feed off of things that are inexpensive or readily available in most-cases. Aside from cleaning up waste and protecting them from predators or illnesses, chickens are also pretty low-maintenance. Just make sure they have enough food and water, give them a good shelter, and they’ll pretty much take care of themselves.
Use the Feathers
Chicken feathers can be particularly-useful for all kinds of projects during a period of self-sufficiency. You can use them to stuff pillows and make padding, and they can be used to line jackets or blankets to provide additional warmth. You can make fishing lures or use the feathers for fletching for arrows. They can be incorporated into fire starting material, and the stems can be used to connect pieces of fabric together. You can also incorporate feathers into your compost pile. These are just a few examples to consider, and chances are that it won’t take long to come up with some of your own ideas once your creative juices start flowing.
Few animals provide us with so many benefits for such a low cost, and this is one of the reasons why chickens can be an invaluable resource during a post-SHTF crisis. While raising chickens isn’t for everyone, it’s still worth considering as you continue with your preparedness efforts and look for ways to be more self-sufficient.
