Keeping Chickens and Poultry

Why keep chickens?
Whether you are thinking about taking the first steps towards self sufficiency or you are simply looking to save money by producing your own food, chickens are the perfect way to start.  Just bear in mind they can live for 15 years and need daily care (including when you are on holiday) so don't get chickens or other poultry (ducks, geese and turkeys) if you think there is a risk the novelty will wear off, you should be prepared to go on a course to learn how to look after them properly.

    •    Owning chickens is great for the environment. You'll be reducing your carbon footprint with zero food miles  on your eggs. You will also have a constant supply of free organic compost.
    •    Chickens make excellent family pets. Many chicken owners say keeping chickens is less work than looking after a dog. Friendlier breeds are ideal companions for children, and are fun and educational too - teaching children where their food comes from and how to look after a pet.
    •    There's nothing quite like collecting eggs fresh from your garden each morning. They taste wonderful and the yolks are almost golden if the chickens have access to fresh grass and vegetables.   You'll never want to go back to supermarket eggs.
    •    Gardeners take note: chickens will gobble up garden pests, so you'll no longer have to use unhealthy, polluting pesticides.
    •    Recent campaigns by celebrity chefs have rightly made people aware of animal welfare on farms. With chickens in your garden, you'll have an intimate knowledge of exactly how the hens that lay your eggs are looked after. The cruelty of factory farming is well documented. Less well known is that even 'free range' chickens are often kept in crowded barns with little access to outdoor space and their beaks cut blunt to prevent them pecking each other.

Feeding and Caring for your Chickens
    •    Chickens are not fussy eaters. Their main diet should consist of layer pellets or mash and mixed corn seed, supplemented with whatever they pick up from the garden and scraps from the kitchen.
    •    Chicks (age 0-8 weeks) should be fed chick crumbs, whilst growers (age 8-18 weeks) should be fed grower pellets or mash.
    •    Chickens love treats, such as leafy vegetables, sweetcorn, fruit, or bread. Keep an eye on your chickens to stop them from getting overweight. Overweight chickens lay fewer eggs.  However so long as they can get plenty of exercise (ideal) you can give them all the kitchen scraps.
    •    Do not feed your chickens meat, fish, or raw potato peelings.
    •    Water should be topped up daily with at least 200ml per chicken.
    •    Chickens need access to a dust bath to clean themselves. You will need to clean out their nesting area once each week.  Chickens also need oyster shell as a supplement to help make thier shells stronger.

The Cost of Keeping Chickens
Domestic chickens cost £8-£15, and are available from small holders, poultry farms and some pet shops. Alternatively, you could choose to rehouse ex-battery hens, available free or at very little cost from rehousing charities such as the Battery Hen Welfare Trust.
Your main outlay will be a coop and fencing for a run area in your garden. Choose a good quality coop to last your chickens for their whole lifetime and to keep predators out. Coops cost from around £100 for a basic model up to £400 for a top of the range design.  Ideally your fencing should be electric to keep foxes out.
Feed costs around £10 for a 25kg bag. The amount that chickens eat will vary depending on breed type, the amount of exercise they're getting, local climate, and the type of feed you use. A small laying chicken will eat 100-150g of feed per day (costing you between 4 and 6 pence for feed per day).

Choosing a Chicken Coop
A poultry coop is the ideal home for a couple of small pet chickens. Chickens are sensitive to too much heat, cold, or dampness, and a coop keeps your chickens sheltered from the rain and cold. A secure, well-built coop keeps chickens safe from predators such as foxes and cats.
When choosing a coop, bear in mind that chickens need 1-2 square feet of nesting space and 3-4 square feet of outdoor space per bird. For a small number of chickens, a coop will provide all the space they need. For example, a standard 5'1" x 2'1" poultry ark is suitable for housing three small chickens.

During the daytime, chickens will need access to exercise space and a dust bath.
Chickens can live up to 15 years, so it is important to choose a coop that will last.
Living in a coop will help your chickens feel comfortable and secure, so they'll produce more eggs.

Finally it is important to make sure that if you are new to keeping poultry that you are not unwittingly creating cruel conditions through lack of knowledge.

No one should be purchasing poultry without prior knowledge of the breed's behavioural and physical needs. People intending to keep chickens, ducks, geese or turkeys should seek training through attending courses or gain practical experience with a person who understands poultry behaviour. Owners need to learn how to protect their birds from predators, inspect them regularly for any signs of ill health and be prepared to discuss any health problems with a vet.

Five freedoms
There are recognised guidelines that should be considered by anyone assessing any animal's needs. These are the 'five freedoms', as defined by the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC).These are.

• Freedom from hunger and thirst - by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour
• Freedom from discomfort - by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area
• Freedom from pain, injury or disease - by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
• Freedom to express normal behaviour - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind
• Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

When thinking of keeping poultry you also have to consider your facilities and lifestyle. There is a suitable breed of poultry for most people it just takes a little time and research to find out which it best for you.

Try the small holders site for information about keeping chickens responsibly, keeping ducks, turkeys and geese even if you are only planning to keep a couple of chickens in the garden you will get the information on how to care for them properly.

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