Keeping Chickens As Pets.

Our first pet may well have been a goldfish creatively called Goldie who lasted all of three weeks, but given my firstborn’s love of animals it was always inevitable that our family would own a pet or two at some stage. The fish thing, well, let’s just say that fish turned out to be less hardy than anticipated. Who knew goldfish kept eating and eating until they died? Who does that?
Needless to say, keeping happy (living) pets is a matter of knowledge and daily care. We learned a lot from Goldie, mostly about having a feeding schedule that involved one person only. We also learned that keeping any kind of pet is a wonderful way to teach our children responsibility, empathy and kindness. Not to mention the wonderful sense of belonging a pet instantly brings them and a safe harbour in times of need.

These days, we are all about the chickens. I consider hens to be the perfect pet – they are easy to care for, fun to play with, warm to snuggle and so very generous with their eggs each day. We keep three chickens – Benjamin is Max’s chicken (she’s a he, apparently); Daffy Duck is Lottie’s baby (although she is unreasonably scared of her baby); and Chirp is Arabella’s third chicken so far (Peep unexpectedly keeled over in the dead of night last Summer and Sparkle went free-ranging and never came home – it’s been a tough year for Arabella!). We plan to add two more chickens to our hen house this month. The excitement!
I remember when we first decided to get chickens I was rather petrified. It all seemed so foreign – we’d had dogs and cats and fish and mice as pets growing up, never chickens. Chickens seemed a bit ‘Farmer Brown’ serious and I was worried that my little urban clan wouldn’t have the skills to deal with them. We were daunted to say the least.
Fast forward a year and we are confident, happy chicken keepers. Our girls free-range most days, taking themselves neatly home to roost in the coop each night. We even managed to upgrade from our eBay purchased flimsy mdf hen house to a larger one built by my husband entirely from ancient stuff found under the house. That’s so farm!

Our chickens have been an educative pet for our children. It’s no surprise that so much of our social language is poultry based – hen-pecked, pecking order, chicken out, chickens come home to roost, count your chickens before they hatch, no Spring chicken… you can see why there are countless opportunities to observe chickens and throw a life-lesson into the mix. You’ve gotta try it!

Here’s a general idea of how to go about getting chickens in!

Do your homework

There is loads of information available online for would-be chicken keepers. I recommend a visit to these places:
City Girl Farming Blog - Kerrie is so friendly and knowledgable
HenCam – a great introduction to keeping a small flock in your backyard
Rent a Chook – let’s you trial being a chicken keeper to see if it’s for you.
The Bok Flock – Mrs Bok is a lovely blogger to get to know.

The right kind of chicken for you

From everyday kind of chooks to exotic specimens, there are apparently around 400 breeds available to keep in Australia. Popular backyard choices include:
ISA Browns (our Daffy Duck and Chirp are Isa Browns – that’s Daffy Duck up there at the top) (Isa Browns) -These cross-bred chickens are great little layers and are calm, good-natured chickens. Really easy to keep, they are the ‘starter’ chicken breed for many families.
Araucana - a South American breed which comes in lovely colours with extra fluffy, tufty bits. It lays distinctive blue eggs. Fun to keep and a good talking point!
Australorp - an Aussie original, the Australorp is a terrific layer, gentle with children and looks great in the garden strutting about with glossy black feathers. My sister has two Australorps and they are happy little souls.
Orpingtons - these are a docile, sweet breed with very fluffy feathers. They are amass with beautiful fluffy golden feathers. These are a very big chicken, so keep that in mind if you have nervous little kids. Even Max is a bit wary of our friend’s Orpis.
Leghorn - these are the birds most commonly used for commercial egg production, so you can bet you’ll get a good layer. They are flighty, nervous birds, though and make quite a racket. My sister has one inherited leghorn and let’s just say she is not a fan.
Wynandotte - broody by nature (they make great mothers!) these birds are very pretty and very easy-care. Their gentle nature makes them great for a snuggle. Benjamin is a bantam Wynandotte and she is hard to keep off the eggs. I feel so sorry for her, patiently sitting on all of the day’s eggs, waiting for… nothing to happen.

Get the right size

Next you need to decide whether you would like to keep bantams or full-sized chickens. Bantams are smaller and lighter than standard chickens and lay smaller eggs. They typically lay less frequently as well, however they make great pets for small children and are very easy to care for. Silkies are a very popular breed of bantam chickens – they are sweet to look at and very docile for easy handling. While many bantams are known to be more flighty than their full-size counterparts, our bantam Benjamin (see those short little legs!) is easily our tamest chicken.

Where to get them

We got our flock from the fab New Leaf Nursery on the northern beaches in Sydney. If you’re a Sydneysider, it’s well worth a trip to this darling place. Chickens and roosters roam amongst the organic plants and there is a sweet petting zoo featuring chicks, rabbits, guinea pigs and even the odd lamb. Benjamin the chicken came ‘second hand’ from the petting zoo and we purchased our Isa Browns in the normal fashion. They were all 12 weeks old when we brought them home, so it was a few months before they started laying. Oh the excitement when we discovered that first egg!

There’s a place called ChookNet which is the “chickens, poultry and sustainable living classifieds” – they list loads of places in every state where you can find your flock.

What to feed them

You’ll also need to consider whether you have a local supply of good, preferably organic, chicken feed. You start with what’s called a ‘mash’, moving up to pellets once your hens are laying. You supplement this commercial feed with kitchen scraps, especially greens, and a source of calcium and grit. This is more important if your hens aren’t free-ranging. We also have a grain mix (see below) that we occasionally give to the girls as a treat. Chirp is a mad oats and pepitas fan and Daffy Duck loves corn. Benjamin eats anything. Check this page on the RSVP website for more information.

We use a ‘hopper’ style feeder to keep a fresh supply of water going at all times. It basically refills a small trough as the chicken drinks. The same style of hopper is used for the commercial feed. This way, you can safely leave your chickens for a night (maybe two) and know that they have ample supplies of fresh food. If we go away we do ask a neighbour to check in on them, just to be sure that they have everything they need. Our neighbour appreciates the eggs as a thank you!

A safe, clean home

A chicken coop doesn’t need to be fancy, although the temptation is to build something cute and fancy for that ‘quaint farm’ look in the garden. By all means, go for it, but just know that all your brood really needs is somewhere safe to perch at night and room to stretch out in the day. We free-range our girls most days (beware the chicken poo – it gets everywhere! Eek!). On the days we don’t they have a chicken run of about 6 x 8 metres – lots of running around room.
You’ll also need to make sure your chooks have somewhere safe to perch at night (a 55mm diametre rod makes a good one, allow at least 1 metre for every 3 hens), at least 30 x 30cm of nesting room for egg laying comfort and at least 2 x 2 m of roaming around room per hen. They will also love having a dry, dusty spot for a daily dust bath to keep parasites at bay. You can find out more here.

A good daily routine

Each day you’ll need to check for eggs (the perfect kid job!), top up fresh water and ensure your chickens have enough food. You’ll may also have to let them out of their coop in the morning and shut them up in the evening once they’ve headed home to roost. At our place we have a secure chicken run, so the hens let themselves in and out of the coop each day and we let them out to free-range when we can. If we free-range them, we just need to remember to lock the pen each night. This works well for us.

A good weekly routine

You’ll need to clean out the stinky coop each week and lay down fresh straw or sawdust or similar soft, absorbent material. We put a nice thick layer of newspaper at the bottom of the coop and a reasonable layer of lucerne over that. We put a thick layer (at least 8cm) of lucerne in each of the nesting boxes, ready for comfy egg laying.
You’ll also need to check your flock for parasites and general health.

So there you have it – despite the farmer connotations, it’s all pretty easy to keep happy hens, right? I urge you to get in there and experience the awesomeness that is the lovely chicken pet. My kids adore their ‘little girls’ and they are part of the family. Good thing we don’t keep hens for meat, isn’t it?

Unchickening (I’m sure that’s a word)

Now, I don’t want to be tooooo chicken-centric so here are some gorgeous blog posts about doggies and kitty cats (which I hear make good pets too?).

Everyone loves a pet

With thanks to all the lovely bloggers for sharing their favourite pet post.

Choosing The Right Chickens To Keep.

keeping chickens can be a good business venture and should therefore be done with care so that one does not run at a loss. In deciding what chickens to keep, you really need to consider what you want the chickens for. You may wish to keep the chickens for:

• Meat;

• Eggs;

• Sale;

• Show; or

• Pets.

Once you know why you want chickens in the first place, you need to understand that some breeds of chicken are easier to keep cooped up in the backyard than others. Some chicken make good pets for young children, are able to tolerate humans handling them and can cope well in a coop. On the other hand, most chickens known to be high egg producers do not make ideal for rearing in the backyard.
Breeds ideal for egg production
For the light brown or dark brown colored eggs, the Rhode Island would make an ideal chicken to keep. The Bantam, also known as the Barnevelder chicken, is considered a high egg producer with it laying about 180-200 eggs each year. The people who prefer the white eggs with a light tinge on them should opt for Dorkings as the chicken to keep. One thing one ought to take note of is that Dorklings hich are medium sized.
On the other hand, if one is seeking the exotic eggs with a dark chocolate brown shell, then the person should get the producer known as the Maran.
Breeds ideal for keeping as pets
The Barnevelder is not only a good egg producer but it also makes a good pet chicken. On the hobby farms, it is considered as a prized bird because it is able to produce good looking yellow chicks that take about weeks without their chick look changing. It is amazing how such beautiful chicks are able to grow large and also strong enough for babies to handle them as pets. They should be handled properly so as to keep them in good shape.
Another chicken which is an ideal pet due to its friendly nature is the Anacona, an Italian chicken breed which is lighter, rounder and not as aggressive as many other chickens. Another chicken breed that has been branded specifically as well a mannered pet is the Australian Austrolope. For years, this particular breed of chicken has been well regarded as a popular backyard pet.
But when it comes to keeping chickens in the backyard, not all breeds are created equal. One should avoid the Old English Game breed of Hens, originally referred to as cock fighters since they are naturally aggressive.
Breeds ideal for eating
If a chicken farmer is keeping chicken for the purposes of eating them, then the Sussex is the most ideal breed, mainly because it is a heavy bird that therefore provides a good amount of breast meat. Also suitable for eating is the Wyandotte chicken is a dual purpose bird making it a favorite for many people. This breed will lay brown eggs and when it comes to its value as a chicken breed suitable for eating, it is known to have very juicy meat.
Durable breeds for colder climates
If you desire to keep chickens, then it is wise take into consideration the classification of the breed. In other words, is it a hardy breed or not. A hardy breed is the type of breed which is able to withstand cold weather. If this is an important requirement, then the best breed to go for is the Rhode Island Red which is a more durable type of breed. Another breed which is classified amongst the most durable and hardy birds in existence is the Dorking. This is mainly because it is able to live in a cold coop and at the same time be able to bear with being penned in a dark space that has a roof covering. They are broody and are ideal setters.
Breeds suitable for showing
The best chicken to show off at an exhibition is the Bantam type of chicken. The miniature Bantam breeds are a show stopper for many people at exhibitions, especially in the UK and Canada. One other breed of chicken trendy for exhibitions is either the white or the black Orpingtons, originally from Australia.
There is a massive passion to show off the current game chickens such as the renowned Old English cock fighter. For show, owners will often groom them in a manner that is suited for fighting. As such owners will cull the comb of the cock.
And finally…
It is good to identify the chicken breed you want simply because there are some which are cross breeds and as a result may have some behaviors which may not be impressive to the owner. At the same time, there are breeds which are not able to resists diseases effectively and hence require more attention than others. It is of essence to know the best qualities to look for in chicken breeds before you start keeping chickens. Chicken have a maximum life span of approximately fifteen years meaning they can offer a relatively long period of companionship.


©Copyright ChickenKeepingAnswers.com 2009

Flock Keepers Risk Spreading Disease

UK - Research from the Royal Veterinary College published in the journal British Poultry Science, has revealed that chicken-keepers around Greater London have a lack of disease knowledge and insufficient awareness of laws, which could potentially have implications on disease control and animal welfare.Researchers collected baseline data on welfare, biosecurity and diseases of a sample of backyard chickens kept in the Greater London Urban Area from May to July 2010.

Information on keepers’ and flocks’ characteristics, housing and husbandry practices and owners’ knowledge of health problems in chickens and zoonotic diseases was collected and a welfare assessment protocol was developed and the flocks assessed accordingly.

Although chickens were generally provided with living conditions which allowed them to perform their natural behaviours, about three quarters of the flock owners did not comply with the regulations of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on the feeding of catering waste.

It has been illegal to feed catering waste to farmed animals in the UK since 2001 because some disease agents can survive in food products and facilitate the spread of the disease. For example feeding chickens with chicken meat and eggs carries the danger of spreading the virus of Newcastle Disease since this virus can preserve its infectivity for weeks in frozen carcasses as well as in eggs.

A serious concern was also the low level of awareness demonstrated by the owners about diseases like Marek’s Disease, Infectious Laryngotracheitis and Infectious Bronchitis which were recently diagnosed in backyard flocks in the UK and which could negatively affect birds’ welfare.

The lack of knowledge about zoonoses among backyard chicken keepers is another important finding. For instance, the presence of chickens has been shown to be a major risk factor for diarrhoea in children since their faeces may contain the disease agent Campylobacter jejuni. Since children are reported to be present in more than a third of the chicken-keeping households, they may be at risk of contracting the disease.

Other important findings included:

• Disease prevention measures such as vaccination and biosecurity, including limiting the access of human visitors, wild birds and rodents to the flocks were rare
• 40% of the flock owners stated that they would dispose of dead birds by burying them in their gardens when in fact the proper methods for this purpose such as incineration should be used to assist prevention of disease spread through groundwater and wild species
• Nearly half of the flock owners would not seek veterinary help in case of illness in the chickens. This raises questions regarding the adequate treatment of sick animals and related suffering in case of incorrect or no treatment

Iveta Karabozhilova said: “Our findings clearly indicate a communication gap between authorities and chicken keepers. Making information available and easily accessible through the most widely used channels is of high priority from a disease control perspective, in particular for notifiable exotic diseases characterised by quick spread and devastating effect, such as Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease.”

“Even though evidence from our study shows that flock owners provide enriched living conditions to the chickens, they ought to realise that their pets are a farmed species and are subjected to regulations. They need to expand their knowledge beyond the diseases for which there has been much publicity, like Salmonellosis and Avian Influenza, and be aware of the fact that some diseases must be reported.”

ThePoultrySite News Desk

My Insight Into Keeping Chickens As Pets.

I have just spent a lovely few days in Wales with my sister Suzanne and my baby girl, Savanna. Suzanne’s friend Jenna joined us for a couple of days which was great fun. Jenna arrived with a home cooked vegetarian meal, a trial run of her delicious Christmas orange cookies and a bag of eggs from her very own chickens!

Jenna’s chickens- Bunty and Elvis!

Jenna has three chickens of her own, one is very old but the other two lay 3 eggs per day between them. How fabulous! The chickens have a pen 3 metres by 3 metres with a roosting area and tree branches to climb on. They are corn fed and low maintenance, Jenna has to feed them daily and change straw fortnightly. According to Jenna they are not hard work, and the rewards are many but mostly they are a lot of fun!
According to the Guardian, the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association estimates that “there are now about half a million chicken-keepers in the UK”. Jane Howorth, founder of the British Hen Welfare Trust, which helps to rehome battery hens, also says that “the charity has seen a massive increase in interest, with a rise from 5,000 annual re-homings when it launched in 2005, up to 60,000 today”.
Interestingly there is scientific evidence that free-range eggs contain higher amounts of folic acid and Vitamin B12 and Vitamin A than battery eggs. They also taste amazing with a much brighter, richer golden yolk than eggs from supermarkets. Savanna and I certainly enjoyed our fried egg on toast for breakfast and were disappointed to return home to our supermarket eggs.
From reading around it seems that it is a fallacy that chickens actually make you money but unlike most pets they will pay their own way. The ongoing costs include straw, corn and possibly veterinary fees, should your birds suffer any of the multiple ailments listed in the chicken-keeping manuals. Then obviously there are the start up costs of purchasing the chickens themselves and the chicken coop. I guess you could sell the eggs but Jenna seems to get enjoyment out of sharing them with family and friends which must be very satisfying and good for the soul.
In the UK alone, we consume over 29 million eggs every day! If every household had just two chickens for eggs you can just imagine how this would reduce the cruel battery egg farming industry, giving chickens a much higher quality of life with guaranteed better poultry welfare standards.

Delicious!

My research has also convinced me that chickens can reduce your carbon footprint. How you say? Straw bedding can be used to make good quality fertiliser, chickens can eat food scraps (apart from meat) from your kitchen reducing waste going into landfill, plus you do not have to ship from other parts of the country to feed your family. You can also let the chickens roam garden beds to eat weeds and insect pests, scratching over the soil. This is best done at the end of the season to protect your precious seedlings but contributes to a healthy ecosystem within your garden.
Ok so I have convinced myself! Dave and I have always fancied ourselves as Tom and Barbara Good so maybe this is a step in the right self sufficiency direction. With our second child on the way I also think that getting the children involved would not only be fun but also unknowingly educational, teaching them where eggs and meat come from, and what goes into producing them.
Thank you to Miss Jenna Fairhurst for introducing us to the delights of keeping chickens!
Mmmm think of all the meringues, Spanish omelettes, baking, home made mayonaise!
from verywellbeing.co.uk

Chicken Expert Is Cock - A - Hoop,

A poultry expert has seen his book about keeping chickens take off since it's release.
Mark Burrows, who has a farm near Boston, became known as the 'chicken king' after he started giving people advice on how to keep the birds on facebook.
After a few surveys and comments from people, he then realised that there could be demand for a book and started to put pen to paper to create a clear and simple and straightforward guide.
The result, 'So You Want to Start Keeping Chickens?' topped the birds category of the Amazon Bestsellers list a month after its release.
Mark said: "When I talked to my followers and to people at my farm there seemed to be a surge in interest for people to become more self-sufficient and put home cultivated eggs in theirs and their families' tummies but struggle to find the right resources.
"Some people also just liked the idea of having chickens as pets as they are friendly but a bit unusual.
"It became obvious a new style of book was needed and one that a beginner could really understand and relate to. I have tried to include everything the beginner needs to know but in plain English so it's easy for anyone to understand."
And even though he felt the demand for a book was there, he has been surprised at its success.
"Being a first-time author I wasn't sure how the book would take off but I am absolutely over the moon about my book topping the Amazon bestsellers list,' he said.
"This whole experience has been one triumph after another!
"My book is also linked to social media so readers can have even more access to the right resources and form a nice community. Within the first month of launching my book, as well as beating the ranks in Amazon, my Facebook page I Really Love Keeping Chickens reached dizzying heights of over 7,000 likes."
So You Want to Start Keeping Chickens? is available on Kindle from Amazon.co.uk at £3.04. Paperback copies are available from Lulu.com for £8.95.

THE LINK TO THE KINDLE BOOK IS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE --------------------------->

Egg Benedict - Hollandaise Sauce.

What’s in a name?
Well quite a lot now that you mention it. Many dishes and various food items have been given the honour of being named after memorable events or famous people.
Take the whimsical Battenburg Cake with its distinctive pink and yellow checkerboard pattern and marzipan icing. It was created to celebrate the royal wedding of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Victoria of Hesse, to Prince Louis of Battenburg.
Eggs Benedict’s origins aren’t quite as clear. Retired stockbroker Lemuel Benedict, Commodore E.C. Benedict and Mrs. LeGrand Benedict of New York all lay claim to its invention.
The humble Granny Smith apple like the Anzac biscuit originated in Australia. Maria Ann Smith discovered and gave her name to the Granny Smith in 1868, supposedly after finding one on a compost heap. The Anzac biscuit was concocted from limited rations for the Australian and New Zealand soldiers fighting in the bloody battles at Gallipoli.
Would you believe John D. Rockefeller’s wealth was the inspiration behind Oysters Rockefeller? Attributed to Jules Alciatore at Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans in 1899, the chef thought the rich, buttery sauce aligned itself nicely with the industrialist’s vast fortune.
Coronation Chicken also deserves an honourable mention. It was named after debuting on the luncheon menu at Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation. Earl Grey tea gets its title from Earl Charles Grey and its distinctive flavour from oil of bergamot (a small acidic orange).
Alfredo di Lelio is credited with a classic Italian pasta to appease his pregnant wife in 1914. His Alfredo recipe remains as popular today as it was then.
Last, but certainly not least, is the magnificent Lobster Thermidor — a delightful mixture of cream, egg yolks, mustard and cognac encasing the lobster meat. This enduring classic was created in 1894 by Parisian restaurant Marie’s to celebrate the opening of the play Thermidor by Victorien Sardou.
A true show-stopper, like the following recipe:

My Eggs Benedict

For all you purists reading this, stop now because my version of Eggs Benedict definitely strays from the classic. For me, Eggs Benedict is about two things: Lazy Sunday mornings and the most glorious Hollandaise Sauce. Sometimes I use bacon instead of ham and I’ve even been known to substitute a lowly piece of toast if a muffin can’t be found.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs per person – poached
• 2 slices of lightly sautéed ham per person (or 2 slices of crispy fried bacon)
• 1 English muffin per person – split, toasted and buttered (or 1 slice toasted buttered bread)
• Hollandaise Sauce (recipe to follow)

Directions:
Place ham (or bacon) on top of buttered muffin (or toast). Top this with poached eggs. Then cover with hot, glossy Hollandaise sauce.
Serves 2.

Hollandaise Sauce

Divide 1/2 cup (125ml) of salted butter into three.
Place one part in top of double boiler (smaller saucepan sitting in a larger saucepan of simmering water will suffice) with 2 egg yolks and 1 tsp. (5ml) of lemon juice. Stir with a whisk until butter is melted.
Add second part of butter and, as mixture thickens, add rest of butter.
When all butter is melted and everything is well mixed, gradually add 1/3 cup (75 ml) boiling water, whisking constantly. Cook a further 2-3 minutes over simmering (not boiling) water, then season with salt and white pepper to taste.
— lynda.hayden@sunmedia.ca.

Keeping Chickens Can Be A Fine Interest For The Family.

If you're searching for the ideal pet for the kids, and one that is profitable for dad and mum as well, then you should think about purchasing a chicken coop and a few chickens.
Hens have several benefits as pets. Obviously the very first benefit of keeping hens is they present you with wonderful, healthy and very tasty free range eggs.
You will not believe how great an egg can be till you've tasted your own newly laid free range eggs laid by your own chickens. You're going to immediately throw away all of those supermarket eggs.
And hens are lots of fun to keep. Each one possesses its own persona, they come in a number of sizes and shapes and surprisingly, if you happen to raise them right, they can be a loving pet.
We have hens and my children absolutely adore them. One we've brought up by hand is really so tame that it will race up to you when you enter the chicken yard and climb onto your shoes until you pick it up and give it a pat.
However there's some things you need to consider before you decide to purchase your first hens. The first is where you will keep them.
Generally chickens are housed in what is called a chicken coop, but can also commonly called a chicken house or a henhouse. This is usually structure that has been built specially for having your hens and it has quite a few essential things built into it.
In the chicken house you will need to supply perching rungs, or perches. These are rungs approximately 1 or 2 inches wide that your chickens will use to sleep on. The same as birds in the wild will sit on a branch to sleep hens also would rather sleep off the floor and will perch to do so.
And you will also require nesting containers. Nesting boxes are where your hens like to go to lay their eggs. A nesting box should be around the size of one chicken only. if you design them bigger then you'll find, as I normally do, that despite the fact that there may be 2 or 3 to select from there will be 2 chickens both trying to lay inside the same nesting box at the same time.
It's important that your nesting box be well above the floor as chickens favor a nesting box like that, and as well that it be comparatively dark. When the nesting boxes are extremely light you might well discover your hens will lay their eggs in the dark corner. They appear to love it darker when they lay.
You will have to think about supplying both food and water for the hens at the same time. Often this is supplied in the chicken coop, often by means of automated watering and feeding, however lots of people handfeed their hens.
Having an automated watering and feeding method ensures that having hens will not subject you to exactly the same problems that you'd have with many other pets, specifically what do you do with them when you're away. Provide sufficient food and water for a week and you can safely leave your hens on their own and no harm should come to them. We have done this often.
Check out any farm store to find various versions of feeding and watering systems. Try to remember to not put the feed or the water near or underneath either the perches or nesting boxes as your hens will poo in their own water or food quite contentedly.
While some people leave their hens in the chicken house all day long I much prefer to have a yard where they are able to free range. I have a simple yard surrounded by wire so they contentedly peck away all day long. I also let my chickens out to roam around the house every so often and it's wonderful to see your chickens contentedly eating pests in the back garden.
There are many varieties of chicken coup around. Search the web and you'll see all sorts of interesting models available, made from all sorts of materials including steel, plastic and timber. Lots of people make their very own hen house. I did, and it is an affordable way to provide your hens with a fine coop to live in.
Regardless of whether you love to be a handyman and make your own chicken house or whether you'd like to buy one does not matter. What does matter is you take the first step towards keeping your own chickens by determining the number of hens you wish to have. This depends upon the number of eggs you would like daily, and how much room you are able to dedicate to your chickens.
Nevertheless getting a lot of eggs is rarely a problem, just sell a few to your nearby neighbours, they'll fall all over each other to buy your fantastic free range eggs.
I really hope it has made you enthusiastic about learning more about keeping chickens. It's a wonderful hobby, kids think it's great, and it's a terrific way to expose the kids to pets. And also to ensure a ready supply of omelettes.
There's of course much more to keeping chickens than just what I've written here, this really is just intended to be an introduction. In the event you are serious do some more research, dive deeper in to the intricacies of keeping hens, then get out there and grab yourself half a dozen birds and a chicken coop and you are on your way.

For more information about the cheapest chicken coops visit our site: www.chickencoops.net.au

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