Find out how to rule the roost with these top tips for keeping chickens. Having a few chooks clucking around the backyard may sound like an old-fashioned idea, but keeping chickens is becoming more popular as homeowners look for ways to save money and help the environment. After all, chickens offer a ready supply of fresh, free-range eggs, dispose of kitchen scraps, keep the garden free of weeds and pests and provide a great source of manure – just remember to age it before putting it on the garden. They're also easy to care for and make perfect pets for kids.
Talking chicken
There are a few rules to follow to keep both your chickens and your neighbours happy. In suburban areas, chickens need to be kept in an enclosed yard, with their wings clipped so they can’t fly away. Depending on where you live in Australia, there may be a limit to the number of birds you can have and, of course, roosters are banned from residential areas. Each council has its own regulations regarding chickens, so check with yours before buying. It's best to buy chickens when they’re ready to lay, usually between 20 and 26 weeks old, rather than hatchlings as you might end up with a rooster. Popular breeds for backyard chickens include bantams, Lowman Brown, Isa Brown, and Australorp cross. Generally, hens live for five to eight years and lay most of their eggs in the first three years, with some stopping completely as they grow older.
Henhouse rules
Chickens can damage your plants if you allow them to, so it's a good idea to set up a mobile run which you can move around the yard to alternate the areas where they can scratch around and forage. A henhouse or coop is essential to provide protection from sun, rain and predators as well as a safe place for them to lay their eggs. These shelters are usually required to be a certain distance from any nearby dwellings and should have a concrete floor for easy cleaning and to keep foxes from burrowing in. There should also be perches for the chickens to roost on at night as well as nesting boxes for them to lay their eggs in, plus a lock so you can shut them in safely after dark. Chickens can attract snakes, rats and other pests so it's vital to keep their area clean and hang food and water dispensers off the ground to keep them away from rodents. Food-wise, chickens need to be fed a protein-rich grain every day in addition to their foraging and kitchen scraps to keep them laying. Chicken feed is available from pet shops and stockfeed suppliers. In addition, they should be wormed every three months and any mites and lice treated straightaway. If you’d like to try keeping chickens, but aren't sure where to start, there are companies that rent chickens, coops and feed for a trial period – so what are you waiting for? Be the head of the henhouse!
Story by Lauren Broomham