How to Take Care of Chickens

Are you planning to keep back-garden chickens? Perhaps you are wondering how to take care of a feathered flock? Or maybe you are keen to find out how you could benefit from keeping hens? Read on to find out!

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that in the event of a sale, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Why Keep Chickens?

There are so many reasons to keep chickens, provided you have the time and space to meet their needs.

Firstly, they are inquisitive birds. With regular interaction, they bond with regular care-givers and respond to attention and affection. Our hens love to eat corn from our hands!

Secondly, they are excellent for maintaining healthy soil and grass. Their manure is a highly nutritious fertiliser, which they spread all over the area which they have access to. The action they use to scratch at the ground is very similar to a harrow, scraping away dead grass and weeds.

Thirdly, they are relatively easy to take care of, so would make good introductory pets for adults and children alike.

Fourth, fresh eggs are infinitely better than shop bought. Especially if your chickens are free range and happy. The amount of money you save by not buying commercial eggs will easily offset the costs of keeping your chickens. And in the current cost of living crisis, it can only be a good think to have a reliable source of eggs – rich in protein and many important nutrients – in your own garden.

Fifth, chickens are very good at foraging for slugs, grubs and other pests. You could pen your hens in a particular area of your garden to help keep any unwanted little critters under control.

Sixth, hens love any scraps from the kitchen. They will literally take your peelings and turn it into eggs!

And a final seventh reason, if you rescue some ex-commercial birds, you will be providing them with a new lease of life!

How to Take Care of Chickens

Here’s everything you need to know to get set up for your feathered friends.

Housing and Set Up

Chickens need a secure house to keep them safe from predators at night. The house should be well ventilated to prevent moisture from accumulating overnight, as this can put your hens at risk of respiratory infections. Hens prefer to sleep on raised perches rather than on the floor, so you must ensure there is enough room for all of your birds to perch. The house should also include nesting boxes for laying.

We wanted to have the ability to move our hens around our property, so we chose to build a modified version of this Chick-shaw. This design features a mesh floor, which allows the majority of the manure to fall through and makes for much easier cleaning.

Your hens will also need a boundary enclosure during the day, to prevent them from escaping and again to keep them safe from predators. We purchased 50 metres of electric fencing, together with a gate and energiser from Voss Farming. Sadly, they are no longer trading in the UK, but similar products are available.

Hens require access to a dust bath to assist with their preening. We use a shallow trug which we fill with a mixture of dry sand and soil.

Additional essential items are a feeder and drinker.

Feeding

Hens require access to fresh water at all times. We provide them with a large drinker of fresh water, and a secondary drinker which has a poultry tonic added to the water, to maintain good health.

They also require nourishment. We currently use layer’s pellets, which you can purchase from most larger pet shops and agricultural merchants. However, we are concerned about the sustainability profile of the ingredients, so we are exploring options to supplement or ideally phase the layers pellets out in the next few years.

We also scatter dried mixed corn as a treat and to encourage foraging and scratching around in the grass.

Additional Dietary Needs

Hens require a source of grit, or fine gravel. This is because they do not have teeth, so cannot chew their food. Instead, grit helps with the initial breakdown of food in the gizzard, the muscular part of a bird’s stomach.

Producing and laying an egg almost every day requires a lot of energy and resources, especially in terms of the minerals that form the egg shell. This needs to be replaced to keep hens healthy and to ensure ongoing production of high quality eggs in sturdy shells. You can purchase commercial oyster shell and provide this alongside the supply of grit. Alternatively, you can bake the shells from your hens’ eggs, crush them and feed them back to the hens. Be sure to crush them well so that they no longer resemble an intact egg. You don’t want your hens to start eating their own eggs!

Preventative Treatments

Hens need to be treated prophylactically for worms every six months. You can either purchase worming medication on its own, and add this to your hens’ food according to the instructions, or alternatively purchase pre-mixed layers pellets which contain the correct concentration of worming medication. There are also natural preparations which you can feed to your hens on a more regular basis.

Chickens are also susceptible to mites and lice, and should be periodically treated for these. We have found that the best way to ensure all hens are treated thoroughly is to mix the mite treatment powder into the dust bath.

Entertainment

Hens are highly inquisitive and will quickly become bored without sufficient entertainment. Scattering corn, as mentioned above, stimulates their natural instinct to scratch about and forage. Our hens also enjoy pecking at sunflower heads and green waste from the garden, such as the storks from the broccoli and Brussels sprout plants. We string these up like a pinata!

You may wish to provide your hens with additional structures with tunnels or perches for them to explore. You could also hang a mirror for them to look into, or a xylophone for them to “play”.

Daily Chores and Regular Upkeep

Hens wake up with the sun, so ideally need to be let out at dawn. This is a good opportunity to freshen up their food and water, and top up their supply of shell and grit as required. The nesting boxes should be checked daily for eggs.

Make sure you take some time to observe your hens every day for signs of poor health. Any concerns should be thoroughly checked and managed promptly.

As the sun starts to set, hens will put themselves away in their coop. Make sure you are available to close the coop up for the night once they are all in bed.

Last but not least, the coop should be cleaned out at least weekly and treated with an anti-mite preparation.

Summary

For those with the time and space, hens are an excellent addition to any smallholding or large garden. They require daily interaction and must have their basic needs met. But they give back many times more than they will ever take from you.

As a long-term customer and affiliate of VioVet, I am so excited to share a special discount code with you!

About VioVet

VioVet Ltd offers a variety of pet and horse supplies, including prescription and non-prescription medications, food, toys and equipment. We stock many of the leading market brands, as well as our own-branded products and supplements. This is all offered at considerable savings to the customer who can expect to receive excellent value for money and an efficient, professional service whenever they contact us.

Discount Code

£5 off orders of at least £60 for first time customers using this link

Voucher Code: VAOCT24

Starts: 02/10/2024 00:00. Ends: 29/10/2024 23:59 (Europe/London).

Terms: £5 off orders of at least £60 for first time customers. 02/10/2024 – 29/10/2024 only. Cannot be used with another deal or voucher. Applicable for all brands. Offer can be changed or withdrawn at any time.