If you are thinking about keeping chickens at home or in your back garden then you have come to the right place! Chickens make wonderful pets, and they can bring a lot of fun, entertainment, and resource to your life.
There is also a real plight for reducing the amount of battery farmed chickens. According to the RSPCA current commercial battery farms are below ethical standards for hen welfare. There is a great concern for caged hens in the UK as they do not provide the recommended space for exercise, rest or access to regular sunlight and fresh grass.
Unfortunately, most eggs you get from the supermarket are far less quality because they come from battery farms. Battery farms will contain caged hens who often are stressed, produce less healthy eggs, and will have a shorter life span. There is still a lot more that needs to be done for chicken welfare in the UK, but you can show support by buying free range and organic eggs only. The RSPCA have advice on laying hens and how you can support improvements in chicken welfare.
The good news is that you can choose to purchase free-range and organic eggs from the supermarket, or even better you can rescue hens and provide them with a safe, happy, and healthy home.
What are the benefits of raising chickens?
There are several reasons why people raise chickens. The most popular would be to harvest their delicious eggs for food. A less common but a tip to know is that you can compost and reuse chicken poop as manure for your garden, flowers, and vegetable patch. And finally, keeping chickens are great pets and can be friendly with people, children, and other animals.
What do you need to know about chickens before getting them?
If you are looking for fresh eggs every day then ideally you should look for laying hens. These types of female hens are usually a variety of Hybrid chickens that can be adopted from chicken rescue centres around the UK.
To have a healthy, regularly laying hen you will need to consider a free-range coop and run. Chickens who have access to fresh air, sunlight, fresh grass, clean water and have plenty of room to roost and rest will provide the best yellow and creamy eggs.
How many chickens should I get?
Chickens are sociable creatures and feel safer in groups. A chicken who is on their own is less likely to live a long life due to loneliness. So instead consider adopting at least 2, or ideally 3 to start with. This of course, is all dependent on the amount of room you have. Only raise chickens if you have a garden or own an outdoor space that has plenty of room for both a coop and a run.
Whilst it isn’t essential to know everything about Chicken health, it is especially useful to know and to be able to identify certain health issues early on. When you first welcome hens into your home you should register them with an avian vet. These are specialised vets who have experience with birds and have been trained in chicken health. You can also brush up your knowledge with a short online course.
How much space do chickens need for their coop?
There are some excellent resources online for how to build your own backyard chicken coop. They can be relatively cheap to build yourself and often you can reuse exiting materials such as old tires for dust baths, wooden pallets for the coop and then chicken wire for the run and frame.
Whilst there is a minimal legal guideline for space, there is evidence that the larger habitat the healthier and happier the animal will be.
For improved animal welfare and happy hens, you should consider the below for your chicken house:
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Nestboxes
Nest boxes are an essential feature inside the hen house. This needs to be a quiet, fully enclosed box where a hen can feel safe and can lay her eggs in peace.
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Chicken run
A chicken run is not the same as a henhouse. This is the space outside the hen house, usually an enclosure where hens can happily walk around, scratch and peck freely. A chicken run usually includes additional features such as grass, wood chippings, dust bath, food, and treats. Keep grass short. Long strands can become trapped in the chickens' digestive system.
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Perches for Roosting
Should be around 3 to 5 centimetres wide with rounded edges and height should suit the size of the birds. Chickens need 15cm each for a comfortable roost, and they should be easily accessible for the chicken to avoid injury.
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Water
Chickens need access to fresh, clean water always. There are specific water drinkers for hens that are designed not to freeze during the winter months and will prevent accidents.
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Chicken Food
Chicken pellets, bird mash, or specific chicken seeds should be provided every day. Food dispensers should be checked and cleaned regularly. Contrary to popular belief, it is illegal to feed chicken kitchen scraps and left-over food.
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Insoluble Grit
Chickens need insoluble grit to help digestion (e.g. hard flint grit). Oyster shell is a soluble grit that can provide extra calcium in the diet, this should be available alongside their daily food.
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Dust or Sand Bath
Chicken’s bath and clean their feathers by covering themselves with dry soil or sand. This helps them to stay cool, absorbs any mess and can deter ticks and lice.
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Enrichment
To provide optimal enrichment you must provide plenty of Fresh Air, Sunlight and Open Space. There should also be spaces in your run with shade, and cover from the elements. You can even provide certain toys, plants and branches that will encourage the hens to explore and keep busy, plus it is entertaining for you!
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How to raise chickens
We have developed a short online course on how to keep chickens. This course is about Chicken Keeping. It looks at the basic care of raising hens, chicken health, welfare and behaviour.
Key things you will learn include:
- Chicken regulations in the UK
- Chicken Breeds
- Chicken Husbandry
- Eggs
- Common Health Problems
- Welfare needs of chickens
- Chicken behaviour.
If you are ready to take on some backyard hens and can provide an enriched and happy future for them, then please consider registering with some of the Chicken Rescue charities and welfare organizations below:
Animal Courses Directs offers a large range of regulated online courses that are aimed at improving animal welfare and care. Visit our course pages for more information.
Also, if you adore animals, you can keep track of all upcoming animal awareness days and events with our FREE calendar! Download it here.
