Although hens are originally woodland birds, they are very happy scratching around on a patch of grassland. There are a few things to take into account before embarking on keeping hens. Firstly, you should check with local authority rules and regulations just in case there are restrictions in your area over keeping poultry.
There is no national law against keeping poultry but if you have a noisy cockerel or the area becomes dirty or smelly, there could be a nuisance issue to deal with. Keeping the birds clean and healthy is a must and if you have a very noisy cockerel, you could try keeping him inside a little later in the morning. It isn’t necessary to keep a cockerel to keep your hens laying but if you do want one, there are quieter breeds available. The Poultry Club has a list
Hens on grassland
of breeds on their website – www.poultryclub.org – as well as a helpful advice centre.
Always buy your poultry from a reputable supplier. Bantams are a popular breed as they are generally good layers and are smaller than average. They lay smaller eggs but six bantams will normally provide four to six eggs a day.
Secondly, be sure you have time for them. Keeping hens is fairly low maintenance but you do have to feed them, shut them in at night and let them out in the morning. Their coop also needs to be cleaned out regularly.
When you have the green light and are sure you can organise their upkeep, the following pointers should help get you going.
Space
Although some books advise that you should allow a square metre of land for every hen you keep, I prefer to give them a bit more space than that. Keeping them happy will encourage them to lay more eggs. If you want to fatten them for eating then restricting their exercise and limiting their space would be advisable.
If you are keeping hens on a patch of grass, they will inevitably scratch it down to the earth within three to six months depending on the condition of the soil and the size and number of your hens. Dividing a patch into sections and moving the hens between them every couple of months will give the soil time to replenish and the grass time to grow back.
Alternatively, you can keep hens on hard ground but they should be given supplements as they won’t be scratching for bugs. The area will also need to be cleaned regularly.
However you keep your hens, it’s a good idea to enclose the space with chicken wire to keep them safe from other animals, especially foxes, and also to keep your vegetable plot safe. Hens can destroy a newly sown seedbed in seconds and they will also probably eat the seeds.
Housing
You can buy chicken houses all ready made with nesting boxes and perches.
But an old shed can easily be turned into a chicken house. A large space isn’t necessary for birds to sleep in – they tend to cuddle up together anyway. The chicken house should be ventilated at the top, and any other holes patched up to deter rats and mice.
Nesting boxes should be provided. Laying areas should be just big enough for the birds to stand up in as well as lay their eggs. A purpose-built chicken house will have a lift up lid so you can remove the eggs easily after the hens have laid them.
Fresh straw is advisable for nesting and keeping your hens warm at night.
Renew the straw regularly. The cleaner the housing, the better for the hens’
welfare and egg production.
Food
Hens that are kept on grass during the day or allowed to roam free through trees will need very little extra food. A handful of corn will encourage them to lay and specially produced pellets can be bought from farm and garden supply shops if you feel they could do with a little extra boost.
Hens kept on hard ground should be given corn and laying pellets, and it’s a good idea to give them excess produce from the garden such as lettuces, vegetable peelings, pumpkin and melon seeds. They will peck over many different foods. Give them the caterpillars you pick off the cabbages in the vegetable garden.
Collecting eggs from your own garden along with a few vegetables creates a wonderful feeling of freedom. A whole meal from your own land . . . no shopping, cheque books or cash involved, no car drive and very little time involved in bringing the food to the table.
Of course, keeping hens will cost a bit. But the initial costs are far outweighed by the fresh eggs you can collect every day for years to come. Most hens will only lay for about three years, but some go on and on.
If you keep a cockerel your eggs will be fertilised and when one of the hens gets broody she may just hatch out a new brood of hens ready to grow and become new layers – well some of them, you may have to give away or roast the cockerels.
If you have young children, they will be delighted with the tiny fluffy chicks.
All in all, keeping hens is a great thing to do but does require a certain amount of time and input. Get to know your hens and they will lay an egg a day nearly all year round.