When it comes to birds domesticated and kept for their eggs, meat, or feathers, no poultry is more popular worldwide than the chicken.

In fact, there are about eight chickens for every human being on the planet, with more than 60 billion chickens raised annually. Smaller than the vast majority of other commonplace livestock like cattle, pigs, or sheep, chickens are generally considered to be both the easiest working animals to upkeep and the most efficient producers per square foot.

As communities become increasingly reliant on local restaurants and grocery stores for their food security, more and more families are choosing to turn unused backyard space into their very own chicken farm. Even outside of food production, chickens continue to grow in popularity both as pets and, thanks to their colorful plumage, as competitive show animals.

Combined with organic raised beds or larger scale foodscaping, choosing to invest in poultry farming remains one of the most productive uses for almost any backyard, big or small. As egg producers, chickens have no equal in the modern world. Worldwide, hens laid more than 62 million metric tons of eggs in 2009. By 2017, that figure increased to more than 80 million.