Raising chickens is smart. It provides you a healthy supply of food in the form of chicken eggs, and you'll even have a source of emergency meat if times get really bad.

Chickens largely take care of themselves. They're friendly, curious and smart enough to come running when you call them. They'll devour scorpions, ticks, crickets, and even the occasional small lizard, removing all sorts of insect pests from your property.

I've been raising chickens for several years now, both in South America and in Central Texas, and I'd like to pass along what I've learned so that you can raise healthy chickens, too!