Keeping Pet Chickens

Banner (468x60)

Find all your new, used & out of print books here. Alibris also stock cds and dvds.
A complete guide to raising chickens & ducks naturally.
How to tend small flocks in cities, suburbs & other small spaces.
Every chicken owner's guide to grazing gardens & improving pastures.

Did you know a chicken's heart beats 280 to 315 times per minute.

The first thing to decide when getting chickens, is where your chicken coop and run is going to stand, and how much space you have available. If you want to put the coop in your garden, you'll probably want something that fits in with the style of garden, and looks attractive. There are many companies on the internet that have a huge variety of designs to choose from. Or if you are keen on DIY, you could make your own coop, which can be designed any way you want. You'll see from the photo on the right, that with a little imagination, almost anything can be done. This is an Aboriginal chicken coop, photo courtesy of Wm Jas'.

What to Consider When Buying a Chicken Coop.

1. It's a good idea to buy a coop with a wooden floor, to stop foxes digging underneath. Depending on where you live, predators can be quite a problem. There could be foxes, racoons or skunks living in your area, and rats will even eat baby chicks. It's essential to shut any doors to the coop at night.
2. You'll need to allow about 2-3sq ft per bird within the coop, the more space you can give them the better. If you're going to keep them confined all the time, without a run or outside space, they'll need about 10sq ft per bird.
3. If you build a fence around the outside of the coop, it should be about 5ft high. Also dig the fencing below ground to about 12inchs, to stop predators burrowing underneath.
4. Inside the coop, the birds will need a couple of perches to roost on at night, and some nest-boxes for laying eggs.
5. The coop will need to be draft-free, but have good ventilation, to prevent respiratory diseases. This can either be a window or built-in ventilation, covered with mesh wire from the inside.

To get more ideas for building your own chicken coop Click Here!

Other Items on the Shopping List.

You'll need water drinkers and feeding containers. These can be bought online or from an animal feed supplier. Plastic bowls also make ideal water bowls, but the water does get dirty quicker. I find plastic dustbins very useful for storing the food, this keeps it dry. Store the bins in a shed if possible.

The floor of the coop can be covered with straw or pine shavings. This helps to absorb the bird droppings. If you're keen on composting, you can use the deep litter method, which I'll explain in another lens. The nest-boxes can be lined with hay.

Commercially prepared poultry feed is easily available from a good animal or horse feed supplier. Some pet stores sell poultry feed, but it's usually cheaper to buy from a larger animal supplier. The food will provide all the nutrients they require, it is usually in the form of pellets or mash. Chickens can also be fed most kitchen scraps, mixed corn and cereal feed.

Buy Posters at AllPosters.com

There are many different breeds of chickens to choose from, but there are several breeds which are good for beginners. The best place to start with your search, is to look for breeders in the classified adverts of the local newspaper. Poultry magazines also list breeders. There are some poultry clubs which you can contact for further information. In the US, there is the American Bantam Association and the American Poultry Association. These poultry clubs often have shows, which are good to visit, as you can see the different breeds and ask any questions. Sometimes birds are available to buy. Another way to obtain chickens is through local auctions. I occasionally visit an auction near to where I live, that sells chickens, ducks and small pets. It's often possible to buy ex-battery hens from these auctions, which will only be about a year old, and will still lay lots of eggs.

Five Breeds to Try.

Rhode Island Red - These birds are well known as excellent layers. They are fun to have, with a lot of character, and will adapt to most weather conditions. The eggs are medium sized and light brown. They will generally still lay some eggs in the winter.

Silkie - An ideal breed for children to have as pets. They are docile, and their unusual feathers on the feet make them appealing. They have bluey-black skin, and lay a small creamy coloured egg. Silkies can be quite broody and make good mothers, so you'll probably only get about 100 eggs a year from them.

Belgian D'Uccle - Millie Fleur is the most popular variety of this breed of bantam chickens. They make great pets, and the roosters are friendly. They lay tiny creamy white eggs.

Sussex - A small pretty bird, with a solid body. They make good pets and are excellent for the novice keeper. These birds are hardy, active and adapt to confinement or free range. The breed has six types speckled, buff, silver, white, brown and red. They lay large creamy to light brown eggs, and you can expect about 250 eggs a year from them.

Australorp - These birds make good pets for children. They become very tame and can be handled. These birds are generally not aggressive to each other. They will lay about 250 eggs a year, in the right conditions.

Photo of Rhode Island Red, courtesy of Jenphoto.

5kg Galvanised Poultry Feeder

Most of the poultry items you need are easily available here on Amazon. Check out some of them here.

4 litre red and white plastic chicken drinker

Keeping Poultry and Rabbits on Scraps:
A Penguin Handbook
(Penguin Handbooks)

Instead of buying adult birds, you might like to hatch your own baby chicks. If you already have some hens, they may start to get broody in the spring and early summer. This is when you can try and hatch some baby chicks of your own.

Signs of a Broody Hen.

When you have a broody hen she will stay in the nesting box for longer and sit on the eggs she has laid. If you try to disturb her, she will get annoyed by making a low squawking noise, and spread her wings out. Some breeds of chickens are more prone to broodiness than others, so they won't sit for the full incubation time. Good breeds for hatching chicks are bantams and heavier breeds, such as the Plymouth Rock and Rhode Island Red.

How to Hatch Baby Chicks.

You'll need eggs that have been fertilised by a rooster, or buy eggs from a breeder. Hens can sit on a clutch of up to 10 eggs, and bantams can sit on 5 to 7 of their own eggs, or 3 from larger breeds. If you want to hatch certain eggs you can gently slip these under her.

Hens sometimes decide to nest in very unusual places, which aren't suitable. So, if this has happened, move your hen to a safe place at night. Put her in a dark, quiet place, where she is secure from predators - a shed or rabbit hutch is ideal. Apart from providing her with food and fresh water, she will do all the work of turning the eggs and keeping everything in check. Make sure she is getting off the nest once a day to eat, drink and defacate.

After 21 days the chicks will start to hatch. Around 6 to 8 of the chicks will hatch sucessfully from a clutch of 10. Once all the chicks have hatched, they will need to be kept separate from the rest of the flock for about 3 months. Their mother will care for them, and teach them to feed and drink water. Feed the chicks on chick crumb until they are around 18 weeks old. When the chicks have there feathers, and don't need their mother to keep them warm at night, they can be intergrated with the rest of the flock. Keep a close eye on them, as sometimes there is bullying until the young birds are accepted.

Photo credit Dizzy Girl

Many people choose not to get a rooster, because they're worried about it being aggressive, and attacking children. But there are some good reasons to have a rooster within the flock. A rooster will fertilise any eggs, if you're hoping to hatch some chicks. He will also protect the hens from predators and make sure the food is shared out. My rooster will often break up pieces of bread for each hen. If a hen is nesting, he will also protect the hen and eggs.

Reasons Not to Get a Rooster!

The most obvious reason not to get a rooster is the early morning crowing, which you might not mind, but your neighbours probably will. And roosters don't just crow in the morning, they sometimes crow in the daytime. There isn't much you can do to stop crowing, so check with your neighbours before buying a rooster.

The other problem is aggressiveness. A rooster will chase anyone, even it's owner. But if you think from the roosters point of view, his job is to protect his flock, and if he feels threatened, he will chase you! The breeds that tend to be more aggressive are game birds like the Old English Game and the Malay. The more docile breeds tend to be the Legbar, Plymouth Rock, Marans and Welsummer. I have a cream Legbar at the moment, and he has never had any interest in attacking me or my children. Silkies are always docile and make a good choice. But be aware that roosters have different personalities, and you may even get an aggressive rooster in the docile breeds.

If you have a feisty rooster and he is damaging your hens during mating, you could try trimming his spurs. This is best done when the bird is young, as they are softer. With an older bird, you can soften the spurs with vegetable oil before trimming. Be careful to only cut the tips, incase they bleed.

Another method I've tried when a rooster has chased me, is to run after him, clapping loudly, or banging something against the fence, to show him who is boss. Hopefully he will back off then, but be careful he doesn't chase you again once you walk away!

If you have a rooster when he is young, try to make friends with him, and pick him up if possible. This should help to make the relationship much calmer.

SquiDirectory - A categorized Squidoo directory featuring an interesting variety of different subjects ranging from arts and literature, shopping, and eco friendly tips, to vehicles for sale, travel, and everything in between.