Keeping Chickens
Keeping Chickens - Starting Out At Home
Want a pet that actually 'gives back' in eggs, manure for your compost pile, and affection?
The chicken is one of the most common and widespread domestic animals. And with a hens population of more than 24 billion in 2003, (as recorded in some sources) there are now more hens in the world than any other bird.
People have historically been chicken keepers mainly as a source of food, with both their meat and their eggs able to be eaten.
There has been a surge of interest in keeping chickens in the garden, caused by celebrity cooks campaigning the dreadful conditions of battery reared hens, increased cost at the shops and the reported credit crunch.
The thought of having chickens in your yard and the thought of having organic eggs from your own chickens, doesn't single you out or causes as many 'home farm' type remarks as it did in the past, of being a modern day Tom & Barbara Good - from the popular television series!
In fact there's something 'chic' in these days of throw away cultures in returning to a more 'self sufficient' lifestyle.
More and more people are growing their own produce - either in their gardens or on allotments. More and more people are getting suspicious about what the food they eat actually contains and the buy organic movement seems to be gaining ground every year - forcing shops to stock a more larger range of organic produce.
Keeping chickens seems to be just a natural progression on this cultural shift.
Folk seem more and more used to having friends and neighbours who keep chuckschickens.
With the the offer of a free home laid egg as part of the bargain, you'll probably get unlimited offers to take over your chicken keeping duties should you ever have to go on holiday.
Plus once you've seen the bright yellow yolk and feasted on the completely different texture of the white, of one of your own back garden chickens' eggs you'll never go back to the supermarket egg again.
When your eggs are in the frying pan, you'll be shocked the difference too. Eggs from your own chickens don't seem to run as much as eggs bought in a supermarket as they're guaranteed fresh.
There's also the plus point that keeping chickens bring a completely new dimension to your back garden - movement, sound and colour. Forget adding a pond, chicken keeping brings so much more!
Each chicken is an completely different and some can be real 'characters' and, if handled whilst they're young, they can be interesting pets for children.
Chicken keeping needs some 'graft', and there will be a element of household maintainence tasks for your chicken house and obviously, letting the chickens in and out of their chicken coop at sunrise and sunset.
There's also the 'chore' of checking for eggs. This should be done a few times per day - just in case your chickens are afternoon 'layers'.
Another thing you need to be careful of when keeping chickens; is 'chicken watching'...
Many hours can be easily wasted watching your chickens potter around the back garden. If you're the kind of person who stares at mesmorising fires, you'll find chicken watching can be highly addicitve!
Keeping chickens can be done as budgets allow. If money is no object, then there's many fancy looking ready made chicken homes that can be purchased from numerous chicken keeping shops.
If finance is tight, then a home made hen coop can be built for virtually 'free', using off cuts of wood found laying around your garage.
A chicken house just needs to be big enough for the chucks to nest in at night, and big enough to stretch their legs in during the day.
Also a place for them to dust bath during the hours of sunlight should be provided.
So whether you're looking to build a chicken house, or buy a purpose built chicken run or are just wanting to find out more about keeping chickens as a hobby; a world of chicken keeping joy awaits.
About the Author
http://www.keeping-chickens.co.uk/eggloo-egloo-or-eglu/
Your can use this article in your website but you must keep all the links in it.
by: keepingchickens
Date: Sep 17th 2008 | Words: 671 | Viewed: 1 times | Rating: Not yet rated
Login to vote
