Chickens perform a crucial role in a Permaculture system by recycling nutrients. They are probably the easiest way to get manure production on site. Chickens provide: eggs, meat, manure, feathers and also eat insects and fallen fruit, eat weed seeds and scratch gardens clean. Although chickens do need care, we can enhance our systems to support them.

We find that chickens really enhance learner buy-in to the garden. Children spend hours watching chickens, naming them and feed them on kitchen scraps they bring from home. They are useful to teach about life cycles, where our food comes from and inputs and outputs.