Keeping chickens is seriously rewarding, so how do you get started?
Chickens make great pets for the whole family as they are highly entertaining whilst providing you with delicious eggs too. A great advantage of producing your own is that you can control your hen’s diet as well as their welfare, which can have a huge impact on taste. They are also relatively easy to care for, and just 10 minutes out of your day will keep them happy and healthy.
Hens live in flocks and are highly sociable, so you will need to keep a minimum of 3 to ensure they feel safe. They are also naturally active, and instinctively scratch around for bugs and worms, so consider how much space you have to allow them to exhibit these natural behaviours. If you think you can meet these needs, the next step is to consider housing, feed and health care.
Housing
It is really important that your flock have somewhere safe, cosy and dry where they can nest or perch. Chickens are at risk from foxes and badgers, and you shouldn’t underestimate their ability to reach them. Doors should be secured with a bolt, and nest boxes with a separate lid must also be secure. Houses with an attached run must also have a sturdy roof so that foxes can’t climb over, as well as an anti dig skirt to prevent them tunnelling in. A perimeter of electric fencing can also be an effective way to keep predators out.
Within your coop you will need nesting boxes with a layer of straw, shavings, or hemp where the hens can lay their eggs, as well as a perch where they can sleep with a minimum of 30cm space per hen for them to be comfortable. On the base of your coop, you will also need a layer of bedding to keep them warm and prevent drafts. This needs to be cleaned out at least once a week, removing droppings and adding fresh bedding, and should be fully scrubbed every couple of months using a suitable disinfectant. Sprinkling some red mite powder or diatomaceous earth will keep mites at bay, and adding some ground sanitising powder will reduce parasitic worms.
Food
Chickens are omnivores, and will eat a huge range of foods, but in order to keep them healthy and laying the best possible eggs they need the correct vitamins, minerals and nutrients. They need a high protein diet which they would normally get from scratching for worms, slugs and insects, but many hens don’t have the space that they would need to find them. You should:-
- Give free access to a complete feed in the form of either a mash, pellet or crumb. These all provide the same nutritional value, but will vary in hen preference and cost.
- Provide feed in a suitable feeder, and place it somewhere that it will not be spoiled by rain.
- Feed a handful of mixed corn per hen before bed and when it is very cold to help keep them warm.
- Feed greens such as cabbage that can be hung around your coop to help prevent them from getting bored, and give fruit as a treat.
- Provide free access to grit as chickens don’t have teeth and so use this to grind down their food.
- You must give them free access to fresh water in a drinker to keep them healthy.
- There are also various treats you can hang round the coop, such as a nutri-peck, fruit sticks, or a swinging pecker that will promote natural behaviours, prevent boredom, relieve stress and provide nutrition.
Health Care
There are a few health issues that are fairly common in chickens, and so it is important to be aware of them first. Worms are one of these, and can cause a lot of damage and even death if not treated. Worm eggs can survive for up to a year on the ground, so it is highly important that you have a worming programme with the advice of an SQP in place, and that you follow good husbandry techniques. Diatom and cider vinegar are believed to make the gut an unpleasant place for worms, whilst Verm-X provides a herbal solution. However, Flubenvet is the only licensed wormer for poultry, although it is better to worm count before using drugs routinely.
Red mites are another common problem for chickens. These live in crevices in the coop where they emerge at night to feed on blood. They can cause a range of problems from itchy skin to anaemia and reduced egg production. It is important to keep the coop clean using a disinfectant. A dusting of diatomaceous earth will help keep them at bay, and poultry vitamins will help aid recovery of infected birds. Finally, feather pecking can be an issue amongst chickens. A dominant hen will peck at another which can draw blood and cause distress, particularly if there is not enough space for them to keep away. This often occurs through boredom and is very difficult to stop. An anti-feather pecking spray can be used, however it is far better to prevent boredom from the start by providing enrichment.
If you are satisfied that you can provide some hens with the care that they need, you can prepare your garden ready for their arrival and then sit back and enjoy their many benefits!
