Chicken & Egg

Why Chickens?

This is a good question. You might have just returned from a poultry show and seen a huge range of chickens exhibited. Alternatively, you may have dropped in at one the many small poultry businesses or farm-supply stores that can be found in most regions, or perhaps one of your friends or neighbors has been talking to you about the huge enjoyment and delicious eggs they are getting from their new flock of feathered friends. Either way, you seem to have been bitten by the bug and are excited about the prospect of keeping some chickens of your own.

This is understandable, since chicken-keeping can be a very fulfilling pastime. Not only are chickens extremely engaging creatures to have around, but there are different breeds to meet a wide variety of needs and, better still, to fit within almost any sized property.

Keeping chickens is an extremely scalable hobby that does not need to cost the earth or be totally time-consuming. A handful of hens in a homebuilt coop and run with a decent amount of space and a caring keeper will produce a plentiful supply of nutritious eggs for the kitchen of an average household. You may, in fact, be able to manage the flock and its expenses so that the venture works out as a cost saver compared with the price of purchasing eggs from the supermarket. That said, you will need to be prepared for hard work, as owning livestock brings with it responsibilities and the need for an understanding of husbandry beyond that required to keep a cat or dog.

So, before you start researching and looking at pictures of the myriad chicken breeds out there, stop, take stock, and ask yourself a few simple but vitally important questions. The first of these is: Why do I want to keep chickens?

This is an important question to ask at the outset to ensure that you get the most from the experience. You may be looking to have fresh eggs or you may want a supply of home-reared meat, or both. It might be that your family wants a pet and chooses to have one that is productive. Alternatively, you may want to get into the hobby of showing to become part of the local animal-breeding and exhibition scene. Or perhaps keeping chickens is a lifestyle choice to complement the vegetable patch or allotment you already manage.

The reasons are many, so take your time. Understanding exactly why you want to keep chickens will help get your new hobby off to a successful start.

First Things First

Having thought through why you might like to keep some chickens of your own, you are still probably eager to press on with deciding which breed you are going to keep. First, however, there is another vital question you need to ask yourself: “How am I going to keep my chickens?”

This might seem like a silly question—surely it’s simply a case of providing accommodation, food, water, and shelter; opening and closing the coop door; and collecting baskets of fresh eggs every day? In many respects it can be as straightforward as this, but only if you get the correct breed and setup for your environment and lifestyle. Otherwise, it can turn into quite a trial, which in turn will significantly tarnish the experience for you and quite possibly impact the levels of husbandry for the animals that fall within your responsibility.

If there are chicken-keepers in your local area, make contact with them and ask to visit. While there are plenty of books, magazines, websites, and online forums packed with information for the novice, firsthand advice given face to face is invaluable. In fact, if possible, visit as many places as you can and ask plenty of questions. One thing that chicken-keepers seem to have in abundance is the will and desire to talk chickens to just about anyone, particularly prospective chicken-keepers.

If you can’t find anyone locally, then go online and find the contact details for your local poultry club. The members may not meet very frequently, but there will be a show in your vicinity at some point that you can attend. Not only will this provide firsthand experience of the chicken exhibition scene, but it will serve to expand your network of poultry contacts and allow you to pick the brains of a range of chicken-keepers. Being able to call or email expert poultry-keepers is invaluable for the novice, becuse although chickens may be relatively easy to keep, they do have their nuances, and these aren’t always covered in the available literature.

Another consideration that can be overlooked is whether you can afford the upkeep of a flock of chickens. The financial aspects of chicken-keeping are covered on here, but before you make the commitment of becoming a chicken-keeper, bear in mind that no matter what breed you elect to keep or what methods you deploy in their upkeep, there will be an associated maintenance cost, even if that is countered by income from their produce at a later date.

Time is another essential investment. The amount of effort required to keep different breeds doesn’t vary significantly, but the amount of time spent looking after them can be affected markedly by the numbers of birds you have in your flock, the type of housing you select, and the husbandry methods you elect to use.

You will no doubt now be starting to formulate some level of the expectations associated with keeping chickens. These include your expectations from the birds and, to a similar extent, what the birds can expect from you. Having gone through the “how” of keeping chickens, you may then need to revisit the “why” if the answer to one of these means that the other isn’t possible.

The process can be iterative, but by taking the time to ask yourself these simple questions of why and how, and then taking a closer look at the reality of what is required from you and your environment, and most importantly what you can offer your chickens, your vision will become more crystalized and you will be able to narrow down the breeds you might be able to keep.

SPACE

You need only look at the range of commercial chicken farming practices throughout the world to realize that chickens are remarkably resilient. At one end of the spectrum, they are packed into cages, whereas at the other end, they are free to roam in woodlands and pastures. Yet despite this apparent robustness, they are quite susceptible to stress, with overcrowding being one of the main triggers. It is essential therefore that you assess the amount of space you have available for your new flock in order to establish the optimum number of individuals within that flock.

Also bear in mind that different breeds have different needs. This isn’t just true of the feeds you use, the supplements you provide, or the type of the housing your birds live in, but also of the outdoor space you provide them. This might seem obvious when you stand a Brahma next to a Serama: the size difference is huge (possibly as large as you could get between two breeds of chicken these days), and as such it would seem sensible to conclude the former would need far more ranging space than the latter. But what if you stood a Dorking next to an Ancona? Again there is a visible size difference, but to conclude the Dorking needs more space than the Ancona would be incorrect. The former is a meat breed and generally a large and docile chicken that, while quite capable of ranging, cannot hold a candle to the frenetic energy that the light layer breed of Ancona applies to its everyday foraging. In this example, the Dorking would be quite content in a relatively small enclosure; the Ancona, however, would soon start to stress in the same space, being eager to explore further.

When it comes to husbandry, different breeds can have very different needs, and this can influence the breed options.

So what is the ideal amount of space you need to provide a flock? It’s difficult to define precisely, but as a benchmark it is worth acquainting yourself with the local legislation regarding stocking densities for commercial flocks and then applying these to the proposed setup for your flock.

That said, space isn’t everything. This might sound like a bit of a contradiction, but too frequently people equate more space with better, or higher levels of, welfare. This is probably due, at least in part, to the perpetuation in the popular media of the idea that cage farming in chickens equates to low welfare and free-range or organic farming to high welfare. This is misleading. Welfare is a measure of well-being, happiness, and health. Animals in high-welfare conditions are therefore happy, healthy, and well cared for; by the same measure, those kept in low-welfare conditions are distressed, sick, and unkempt.

For example, consider these two setups: first, a small fixed pen containing a trio of birds that is kept indoors under artificial light; second, a free-ranging flock of birds that roam for miles and love to roost outdoors. At face value, the latter seems to be the better welfare setup, but closer inspection shows the penned birds to be exhibiting all the correct behaviors expected from content and healthy animals, whereas the free-rangers are underfed and lice-infested birds whose love of roosting outdoors is due to the fact that their house is crawling with parasites and piled high with dung.

While the legislation at a commercial level will provide a guide, the backyard or small-scale keeper has a different set of challenges with a different set of advantages that enable husbandry to be adapted without damaging welfare, and in some cases directly improving it. There are three main types of setup you will encounter when looking into the care and husbandry of chickens on a noncommercial scale: free-range, fixed run, and movable run. It is possible to hybridize these systems; for example, keeping the chickens primarily in a fixed run but allowing them to be free-range at certain points of the day. It is also possible to swap and change during the year and as the seasons change—for example, free-range for the summer, and a fixed covered run during the wet or winter months. Each setup has its advantages and disadvantages, but if you have the time and space, it is perfectly possible to reap the best from all three. The table opposite gives a brief description of each setup, along with its associated advantages and disadvantages.

Chicken Husbandry Setups

TIME

Depending on the number of chickens you intend to keep (which will be defined by your answer to the initial question of why you want to keep chickens), you will generally need at least 30 minutes a day to manage the requirements of the flock. This effectively breaks down as follows: 15 minutes at the beginning of the day to let the birds out, check their condition, fill waterers and feeders, and collect any eggs; and 15 minutes at the other end of the day to check again for eggs, check the birds over, and lock them up. These time periods are dependent on the season, but unless you invest in an automatic pop-hole door opener, somebody must be present about an hour after dawn and at dusk, 365 days a year in all weathers.

On weekends, you will also need about an hour per coop to muck out and perform the weekly tasks. If you frequently spend weekends away or take annual vacations, think through what you will do with the chickens then. Do you have friends or neighbors who can commit to the needs of the flock, or are there hen-sitting or boarding services nearby you can use?

The season or the point in the chicken’s year also affects time demands, but one certainty is that if you genuinely take to keeping a flock of chickens, the time they require in terms of management may well remain the same, but the time you spend with the flock will significantly increase. They are incredibly endearing animals to be around, and once you start to understand the flock structure, its dynamics, the individual personalities of the birds, and the relationships between them, they will soon start to replace television soap operas or the latest bestsellers as your daily dose of drama.

SECURITY

Security here isn’t about padlocks on gates or deadbolts on chicken coops, although these are sensible precautions when keeping some breeds or standards of chickens, as poultry theft is not unheard of. Instead it refers to the general design elements of the space in which you intend to keep your chickens.

If your intention is to keep a free-range flock, then the boundary barriers or fencing surrounding your property need to be considered, particularly if you adjoin other properties, roads, or public areas. Certain breeds of chicken are perfectly capable of jumping or flapping over barriers higher than 6 feet (2 m), so suitably tall boundary fencing is required to keep them in your own yard and out of any neighboring property or off any highways. If you don’t intend to custom build or redesign the existing fencing and it’s not of a suitable height, then this will restrict the choice of breeds or type of setup you can choose.

If, however, you don’t intend to hand all of your yard over to your flock, then you need fencing that will keep the chickens in the part of the yard given over to them and not in the vegetable plot or sunbathing on the patio.

The fencing also needs to be secure enough to keep out any potential threats or visitors. Predators, and even hedgehogs in the UK, and raccoons in the US, will attempt to get into the chicken run either for the chickens themselves, for their eggs, or even for their food. As the first and often last line of defense, the boundary of the enclosure and the way in which it is installed plays an important role in the husbandry of your flock.

Threats can also be present from above. Birds of prey, such as buzzards, hawks, and kites, can take young growing stock, and members of the crow family are extremely clever egg thieves, dropping into the run, entering the house through the pop-hole, and leaving with an egg in the beak. To secure against this, roof netting or clear plastic panels might be a requirement.

Good fencing should aim to keep your chickens in and predators out.

Finally, the house itself needs to be secure enough to keep the chickens safe as they roost. The materials should be strong enough to prevent any predators scratching, digging, or chewing their way in. The construction of the henhouse needs to be sound enough to prevent it from being blown over by the wind, and any doors, nestbox lids, or hinged roofs should be secured so as to prevent them from being lifted by noses or paws.

FINANCIAL OUTLAY

The prospect of “growing” your own eggs is an exciting one, and if done correctly it can, both directly and indirectly, contribute toward the household budget. It does, however, require some cash up front—even the most frugal of startup systems will require a reasonable investment.

There are also the ongoing running costs to consider, although it is possible to balance these against the productivity of the flock. Keeping records of cost and income will help you keep a handle on the economics of your flock and will also enable you to establish a suitable price point for the eggs the flock produces if you decide to sell them, for example, at a farmers’ market.

Startup and Running Costs

Initial outlay		Running costs
Housing and fencing	$500	Feed (7 oz./200 g per bird per day)	8$ per bird per day
Cleaning equipment	$70	Shavings (⅛ straw bale per week per house)	2$ per bird per day
Dietary supplements	$50	Total	10$ per bird per day
Treatments	$50
Total	$670

OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS

It might seem like an odd question, but does everyone in the household like the idea of keeping chickens? The flock is likely to be around for quite a while, meaning that even the most hands-off member of the family will encounter them and perhaps need to adjust his or her lifestyle (if only slightly).

And are there any other pets in the household? Cats tend not to bother a flock of chickens much unless they are particularly aggressive, and creatures such as rabbits or guinea pigs are more likely to get picked on by chickens rather than the other way around. Dogs can, however, be a problem, so if you own a dog you need to give careful consideration as to how it might react to a flock of chickens and how you are going to manage the situation. While it is perfectly possible for the two species to coexist quite peacefully, there are some dogs that will never settle around chickens, constantly worry them, and in some cases kill them. If at all possible, find another chicken-keeper nearby and ask if you can test out how your dog reacts to their chickens—safely and on a leash, of course!

OTHER REASONS TO PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

Keeping chickens and introducing them onto your property or into your backyard might not be on a par with releasing wolves into Yellowstone National Park, but it does require you to perform an assessment of your immediate environment, and it should be given some careful thought.

The first consideration is the law. Are you legally allowed to keep chickens (often simply referred to as livestock) on your land? Do your land deeds accommodate this use and does the local legislation enable it, or are there rules that prohibit it? It’s always better to check directly rather than assume you have the right to do so.

In a large proportion of cases, there will be nothing legally binding to stop you from keeping chickens on your property. Assuming this is the case and you have confirmed it, the next thing to consider is the “unwritten law.” This is the one that is forgotten quite frequently—the law of common courtesy, decency, and respect, in which you take into consideration your neighbors.

You might be lucky and have no nearby neighbors to worry about, but for a large majority of people, neighbors are a fact or feature of our lives. As such, there are scenarios (such as when erecting buildings and additions) when you need to get your neighbors’ permission first, or common sense dictates that it’s worth getting them on your side before you commit to your project. You can, of course, simply ignore your neighbors, and if you have a fractious relationship with them already, then that might be the route you take. However, if that is the case, don’t expect them necessarily to ignore your new feathered lodgers.

One way to ensure that you mitigate the risk of offending your neighbors is to visit someone, particularly a friend if possible, who already has chickens in his or her yard and, while there, perform the “eyes, ears, and nose test.” Most people, when faced with the prospect of a neighbor getting a flock of chickens, will primarily be concerned with how it will impact them, and are likely to ask three questions: “Will they be an eyesore?”, “Will they be noisy during the day and in the early hours?” and “Will there be a smell?” When you visit your friend’s flock, ask these questions, see what the responses are, and test them with your eyes, ears, and nose. That way you should be able to give a confident and educated response should you get a similar set of questions from your neighbors.

One final thing to contemplate, and it could well be something your neighbors raise too, is uninvited visitors. This could be the cat from down the road, the dog from over the fence in the park, or predators such as foxes or raccoons that frequent your plot without your knowledge. If you do get regular uninvited visitors, you will need to ensure that you protect your flock accordingly. Your flock may also attract rats, mice, and, surprisingly, humans. Even the best-kept chickens will attract vermin, but it’s the strategies you deploy when you become aware of their presence that will define whether they are dealt with efficiently or allowed to become a larger problem. With regard to uninvited human visitors, a lot will depend on the types of chicken you keep. As with any prized pets or livestock, if their value is high enough, then someone will always be tempted to steal them.

Some roosters can be quite noisy throughout the day as well as at first light.