Chickens provide good food and good laughs. Like the picture above. They are quirky, beautiful and clever. They come in countless colors, shapes and varieties, and there is hardly a culture on the planet that doesn't raise them. They eat ticks, grasshoppers and lots of other pests. But what's my absolute favorite reason to raise backyard chickens? They add life and vigor to a home, turning people into naturalists. They connect us to our food and to our past.