7 Considerations Before Getting Backyard Chickens
You want to get chickens but don't really know where to start? I was in the same place a few years ago!
Below I have listed 7 things I wish someone had told me before starting on our exciting chicken journey.
Here are 7 Considerations Before Getting Backyard Chickens...
Do you have time for them?
Chickens usually need to be visited twice a day- once in the morning when the sun comes out to let them out of their house, and once before dark to close the coop door. Eggs need to be collected daily, and poo needs to be cleared from the house daily ideally. Water and food supply need to be checked and replenished (if needed) daily. A deep clean of the house and change of bedding needs to be done weekly.
With our second home built Coop we opted to use an electric light sensing door to avoid having to open them in the morning and close them in at dusk, that way I can visit them once a day and on my own time.
Once you establish this into your routine, its really only an extra 10 minutes at most added to your day. Aside from one day of the week where it might take a little longer changing the bedding and doing the other care on top of daily care.
2. Do you have a chicken sitter?
When going away on holiday you will need someone to care for the chickens, so you need to make sure you've got someone you can rely on to do this.
Chickens will be happy with as much space as they can get, but it is possible to keep them in small spaces too.
For chickens kept for meat, the law in the UK is 13 hens per square meter slaughtered before they are 56 days old.
If you are keeping chickens in your garden for eggs, to class as free range eggs in the UK, legally you must have no less run space than 4 square meters per hen.
4. Will you let them free range in the garden or have a run?
Chickens can be kept in a run, or they can be kept as free range chickens in the garden. Chickens, though they don't look it, have the tendency to tear apart gardens (speaking from experience!) We allowed our chickens free range for a few weeks and they tore out most of our grass, and I lost a few of my plants... So, unless you aren't particularly fussed about your garden, keeping them in a run is the best option!
We let our chickens out of the run a few times a week for monitored foraging. That way they can have some fun, and I keep my plants alive. Win, win!
5. Can you provide them with secure housing?
Chickens need a secure house with a roost to keep them safe from predators at night. They also need a place that is kept clean and stays temperate during the colder and warmer seasons (depending on where you live). Bedding material should be placed on the floor of the house below the roost, to keep them comfortable.
It obviously depends how many chickens you have in regards to the size of the hen house you will need.
A nesting box also will be required for laying hens, which can be either inside or outside the house.
6. What will you be keeping chickens for?
Will you be keeping chickens for eggs or for meat? Or are you just interested in the companionship of a pet?
If keeping chickens for eggs, and you want to get the most out of it, I would recommend getting a pullet (a chicken under one year of age). Pullets start laying around 18-22 weeks. Chickens stop laying at about age 4-5. Getting a young hen ensures you will get the most out of your girls!
If keeping chickens for meat you will need to slaughter them young. Depending on what breed you have- they will need to be slaughtered anywhere between 6-12 weeks.
If keeping chickens for a pet, there is the option to adopt a hen that has stopped laying.
7. Are there any rules preventing you from keeping chickens?
In the U.K there are no laws preventing you from keeping chickens. But there can be a covenant written in your property deeds to prevent the keeping of 'livestock'.
For instance, we are allowed to keep hens where we live, but unfortunately roosters are not allowed. Make sure you check before jumping in!
Keeping chickens is definitely a rewarding and fun experience once you get going. I really hope that this blog has helped to make you feel more informed...after all, knowledge is power!
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