Red Hens. Straight from Rhode Island. Making sure SLU's new baby chicks don't roast in the heat (stay watered/fed/shaded) is now included in my job description.
And, boy are they good for your garden.
"Chickens dig up dirt, eat bugs and grubs, and prepare the ground for planting."
- Millie, Ph.D., chair of everything (namely, SLU's Nutrition and Dietetics Department)
The whole story is short and quite picturesque: