An excellent idea, but perhaps there are a few things that you should consider first? Your new hens will need just as much attention as the average family pet (although they don’t need daily walks)! They will need fresh water and food daily, to be tucked up in their secure henhouse each night and of course lots of love and affection.
Hens can be very tame, so are quite a good pet for young children and also teach them a little about the food chain. You can source your chickens from a supplier of young point of lay hens, of which there are many on AdTrader, or rescue some ex battery hens. Don’t think that ex battery hens are in any way unhealthy, they are given full vaccinations at chick stage, but what will be new to them is the space to roam and forage for food.
Where ever you source your chicken they will need time to settle in and establish their natural pecking order before their true characters shine through. AdTrader has lots of chicken coups or iglus to house them, or make your own. Chicken houses can be on stilts to help protect them from foxes, or just well protected with chicken wire or fencing. But they must be both fox and vermin proof as well as ventilated.
They will need some purpose made hen food – purchased from County style shops, online or famers supplies as well as fresh produce – veg trimmings and some scraps etc. Also some grit which is necessary for them to digest their food.
Hens need regular worming, about 3-4 times a year and protecting from parasites, most notably Red mite. They may also need other medical checks should problems occur.
But, the pay off is that you will have a plentiful supply of fresh eggs, a slug and snail free garden and some new best friends!
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