Proud To Be British.CHICKEN DIARY
last updated Wednesday 10th November 2010 - 23:25
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What comes first the chicken or the egg?...........
Neither. If you are seriously thinking of having some lovely chucks around your garden, the first thing you must consider is where you want them to live.
They do need to have a small part of the garden which you can fence off to maintain their safety, to allow them to have their own area to scratch around, (they do love a bit grass), have dust baths and generally have a relaxing time. It also prevents them scratching other areas of your garden. Although when you want it sanitized (i.e. getting rid of all the garden pests) allow them to do a bit of roaming.
The size of your chosen plot stipulates how many hens could happily live there. The next item you need to consider is the hen-house/coop. Again the size equates to how many hens can be accommodated.
There are all types of hen houses available, check out http://www.jimvysearks.co.uk/; http://www.pandtpoultry.co.uk/; http://www.lindasgrove.com/ Remember, if you have a handy DIY person in your family, the hen-house can be built easily and at a much lower cost. (I had great fun painting and stencilling mine!!)
The Domestic Fowl Trust, http://www.domesticfowltrust.co.uk/ can supply a package of all that you need, so have a wander through their site. I, personally, think it’s much more fun choosing the specific type of housing, choosing your own selection of hens, (there are all types and sizes) and generally, getting everything ready for your new feathered family.
Thirdly, you need to consider who can keep an eye on them whilst you are on holiday or away for the night. You’ll probably find close neighbours or family are happy to do so and have the opportunity to collect those gorgeous eggs with the deep-yellow yolk.
Hens are very easy to look after. They need to be let out in the morning and fed; eggs collected later in the day, and their door shut in the evening. They are all very well trained; they put themselves to bed as it is turning dusk. The only reason they need to be shut in, is to protect them from the fox and badger. Believe it or not, if you live in town, there is even more risk of foxes,
People say rats are a problem, but I have found (touch wood) if there is no excess food left over, there isn’t a problem.
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