Keeping Chickens

Over the past few years keeping hens, both as pets and for their delicious fresh eggs, has become more and more popular, even in urban areas as they require surprisingly little room and, if kept properly, do not smell or cause other problems with neighbours. Town dwellers may wish to limit themselves to say, two hens, and a small run, but in the country, if you have a large garden or orchard, it's quite possible to enjoy keeping a whole flock of hens, so benefiting from a regular supply of eggs - possibly with some left over to sell to those who appreciate the taste and animal welfare benefits of genuinely free-range eggs.

Unless you want to go in for serious egg production you can choose from any number of ornamental birds with weird and wonderful feathers. You could try Colchin chickens, originally imported from the Far East in the nineteenth century. These are large birds with amazingly feathered legs and feet which come in a range of colours including blue! They will produce sufficient eggs for your family, but probably not enough to sell on.

If you like the aesthetic appearance of brown eggs, then a good choice would be Marans as they produce dark, almost chocolate-coloured eggs, or for novelty, Cream Legbars lay blue eggs.

If you're not too worried about the appearance of your chickens, then why not consider giving a home to hens rescued from battery cages. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you've given the bird a longer, better life. In battery farms, not only are hens overcrowded and often de-beaked, the lighting is adjusted to encourage a higher production of eggs than would naturally be the case, with the result that after only 12 months, the chickens are considered to be worn-out and are sent for slaughter. However, in a new home the hens will probably live for another two or three years, and as a bonus, will give you a supply of eggs.

Remember though, if you decide to adopt such birds that they have been kept in a tiny cage, no bigger than 8" wide and 11" long, and will have had no perch to roost on. When you first see them they are likely to have only a few feathers and to be totally unaccustomed to freedom and daylight. Their legs will be weak, due to lack of exercise, so at first you should provide a ramp to help them reach their roost. If they've been de-beaked, they will have a squared-off bottom beak, but foraging free-range will restore the natural shape.

You will need to feed your hens a commercial pellet-type feed suitable for free-range hens. This will ensure that they obtain the required nutrients, vitamins and minerals. However, if you scatter grain on the ground, this will encourage them to follow their natural instincts to scratch about and range more widely. Free-range hens will pick up stones if available, but you should also provide poultry grit which helps to break down grain in the chicken's gizzard.

Hens also enjoy kitchen scraps, but be sure to avoid giving meat or salt. The yellowness of their eggs' yolks will depend on the amount of plant material they consume, so give them vegetables, such as cabbage or carrot or turnip tops. If they're in a run then tie the vegetables in a bundle and hang it up for them to peck at which will keep them happily occupied for hours.

Finally, and most importantly, fresh clean water must always be available - placed in the shade if the weather is warm as chickens don't like drinking warm water.

Once you've mastered the basic techniques of hen-keeping you'll find they're very easy to keep, and will bring a great deal of pleasure, as well as wonderful fresh free-range eggs.