What Science Says About the Benefits of Backyard Chickens

From food waste to mental health, here’s why so many people—and cities—are embracing backyard hens.

Backyard chickens are often painted as a lifestyle trend—cute, quirky, maybe a little eccentric. But beneath the memes and mason jars, there’s real data behind why so many households and municipalities are choosing to legalize or encourage small-scale urban flocks.

This post breaks down what the research says—across food systems, environmental impact, community resilience, and public health.

🥗 1. Chickens Help Reduce Household Food Waste

One of the clearest, most consistent benefits? Chickens are natural food waste recyclers.

Studies show that households with chickens divert a significant portion of food scraps that would otherwise end up in landfills. In fact:

1. A 2018 study in the Journal of Cleaner Production found that backyard hens can consume 150–200 kilograms (330–440 lbs) of household food scraps each year—turning potential landfill waste into eggs and fertilizer.
2. A doctoral study in Philadelphia found that each hen diverted up to 83 pounds of food waste annually, helping both households and municipalities reduce landfill volume and methane emissions.

That’s not just good for your conscience—it’s good for city budgets. Less food waste means lower hauling costs, fewer landfill emissions, and a more circular urban food system.

🐛 2. Chickens Contribute to Soil Health

Chickens support nutrient recycling not just by eating food scraps—but by producing manure rich in essential nutrients.

When composted properly, chicken manure becomes a potent soil amendment. Poultry waste contains high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—the same macronutrients found in store-bought fertilizers (Mississippi State University Extension, 2021).

This natural fertilizer helps replenish soil nutrients, improve structure, and support sustainable gardening. For many households, it can even replace synthetic fertilizers, cutting costs and reducing the risk of nutrient runoff into local waterways.

For households practicing composting or urban gardening, chickens become an integral part of a closed-loop system. And for cities encouraging home food production, chicken ownership can be a synergistic addition to broader sustainability goals.

🧪 Note: Chicken manure must be composted before use to kill pathogens and avoid “burning” plants due to high nitrogen levels.

🧠 3. Emotional Connection & Emerging Mental Health Benefits

Backyard hens are increasingly recognized by their owners as companion animals—offering emotional engagement, routine, and a sense of connection. In a 2024 survey of over 2,000 owners, most reported positively meaningful relationships with their flocks.

While rigorous studies specifically testing chickens in therapy are rare, the larger body of animal-assisted therapy research shows that interacting with animals (especially in routine care or guided settings) can reduce anxiety and depression, improve mood, and enhance social connectedness (Parbery-Clark et al., 2021).

🧪 Note: Research is emerging, and direct clinical trials with chickens are still limited. The evidence is strongest in broader AAT frameworks and owner‑reported experiences.

🧒 4. Educational Value for Children and Families

Backyard chickens offer children a chance to engage with biology, sustainability, and emotional development in a hands-on, tangible way.

Studies from school and homeschool settings show that caring for chickens can support learning in areas like:

1. Life cycles (from egg to chick),
2. Basic genetics (traits like feather color or egg shell hue),
3. Environmental systems (waste reduction, composting),
4. and social-emotional development (responsibility, empathy, routine).

These experiences are consistently associated with stronger engagement, greater environmental awareness, and meaningful enrichment—especially for students who benefit from sensory or real-world learning (Wolff et al., 2018; Gilligan & Downes, 2021).

🍳 5. Local Eggs Can Improve Food Security

While backyard flocks aren’t a silver bullet, they can support food sovereignty and resilience at the neighborhood level.

A small flock of 4–6 hens can produce 600–1,200 eggs per year, depending on breed, climate, and care (Mississippi State University Extension, 2021). That’s enough to provide a family with several eggs each week—reducing dependence on grocery stores.

In low-income or food desert areas, this steady egg supply can help buffer against price volatility and gaps in access to fresh protein (Breen, 2019; Mace et al., 2024).

During the COVID‑19 pandemic, egg shortages and soaring prices prompted millions of Americans to start backyard flocks—local media reported supply sellouts, and AP noted rising interest as commercial egg prices surged due to bird flu and inflation (AP News, 2025). This reaction underscores the value of local micro‑flocks during disruptions.

🧑‍🌾 6. Chickens Support Local Economies and Agrarian Skills

Backyard chickens don’t just produce eggs—they also spark micro-economies and help revive forgotten skills.

When cities legalize small flocks, local businesses often follow: feed stores, compost suppliers, coop builders, and urban agriculture educators all see a boost (Mace et al., 2024; Breen, 2019).

Programs have launched across the U.S., offering coop rentals, starter flocks, and support services for beginners—lowering the barrier to entry and creating new income streams. At Delve, we’ve seen this trend locally and offer hands-on experiences to support new and aspiring chicken owners.

These ecosystems also encourage hands-on learning, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and a reconnection with food systems—particularly valuable in urban or suburban communities where such ties have eroded (Wolff et al., 2018).

The result? A quiet revival of agrarian skills—from composting and building to food preservation and animal husbandry—anchored in something as simple as a chicken.

🏛️ Curious how city laws have evolved?

See how cities changed their minds on backyard chickens →

🚫 But What About the Concerns?

This post focuses on the benefits—but we’ve also compiled a separate, well-researched post about the concerns and downsides, from noise and odor to disease risks and animal welfare. If you're looking for a balanced view, we strongly recommend reading both.

🔗 Read: Do Backyard Chickens Cause Problems? What the Data Shows →

🧭 Bottom Line

Backyard chickens aren’t just a hobby—they’re part of a broader movement toward local food, sustainability, and connection to place.

And when properly supported with thoughtful policy and community education, they can benefit not just individual households—but entire cities.

🐔 Related Reading

1. Do Backyard Chickens Cause Problems? What the Data Shows →
2. Should Cities Allow Chickens? A Look at the Debate and Data →
3. What to Consider When Writing Chicken Policy →
4. [COMING SOON: How DFW Cities Regulate Backyard Chickens: A Regional Comparison →]

✅ Action Steps

If your city is considering backyard chicken policy—or if you’re thinking about getting hens yourself—here’s where to start:

1. Look up your city’s current ordinances
2. Talk to local chicken owners and community gardens
3. Review best practices for coop design, flock size, and neighbor relations
4. Follow your local extension office or urban agriculture program for science-backed guidance

📚 Sources

1. Langemeyer, J., Baró, F., Roebeling, P., & Gómez-Baggethun, E. (2018). Backyard poultry as a pathway to reducing food waste: Environmental benefits of poultry feed from household scraps. Journal of Cleaner Production, 201, 345–354. 
2. Breen, M. (2019). The Value of Backyard Chickens in Reducing Municipal Solid Waste (Doctoral project). West Chester University. 
3. Tabler, T., Wells, J., Moon, J., & Moyle, J. (2021). Poultry Beginnings: Raise Your Own Backyard Chickens (Publication #3624). Mississippi State University Extension.
4. Mace, J. L., Renner, C., & Parkins, J. (2024). The spectrum of care: Exploring human–chicken relationships in non-commercial settings. Animals, 14(2), 288. 
5. Parbery-Clark, A., Schnellbächer, A., & Sütterlin, S. (2021). Animal-assisted interventions for the improvement of mental health outcomes in higher education students: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20), 10768. 
6. Holt, N. (2022). The Power of Chickens (Online survey summary). Survey summary available via ResearchGate. 
7. Wolff, L. A., et al. (2018). Chicken Raising in a Diverse Finnish Classroom: A Transdisciplinary Sustainability Learning Study. Sustainability, 10(11), 3886.
8. Gilligan, C., & Downes, P. (2021). Reconfiguring Relational Space: A Qualitative Study of the Socio‑Emotional Benefits of School Hens. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning.
9. Fisher-Maltese, C., & Zimmerman, T. (2015). A Garden-Based Approach to Teaching Life Science Produces Shifts in Students’ Attitudes Toward the Environment. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education, 10(1), 51–66.
10. AP News (2025). Soaring egg prices are piquing interest in backyard chickens. News Article.