Fresh Eggs--get some

Have you ever thought of keeping a few chickens so you can enjoy farm-fresh eggs? Fresh eggs from birds that eat their natural diet of grass, grain and insects taste far better than the pale-yolked orbs sold in supermarkets.

Anyone can easily setup a small coop, but just be sure you choose a design that will keep the birds safe from predators and still allow them to forage on your lawn.

We have 13 chickens and 1 duck. It is great to have fresh eggs every day.

Here are 5 great reasons why you should have chickens in your backyard:

1. When hens are able to eat green plant material or yellow corn (factory farm hens are sometimes fed yellow dye to color the yolks), the beta carotene concentrates in the yolk making it dark sometimes even orange. Eating red peppers makes yolks red, and some plants can make the yolks green or even black.

2. Fresh eggs have darker colored yolks than old eggs. The bright color of the egg yolk fades as the egg ages. A pale yellow yolk and watery white mean that the egg has been sitting in storage for several weeks, or months.

3. Produced by less-stressed, free roaming hens with outdoor access means healthier for you!

4. Hens will lay eggs without the rooster, so you can have peace and quiet and chickens!

5. You can make all the egg dishes you have ever wanted!