Before introducing chickens to your garden, you should make sure that you have adequate fencing/chicken wire so that the chickens do not escape, and also ensure that the garden is not too overgrown for the chickens to run around. The edges of the garden (or chicken run if you have one) should be secure enough to deter predators such as cats and foxes.
The Chicken Coop / Hen House / Chicken Shed
You will need to purchase suitable accommodation for the chickens, such as a chicken coop, hen house, or chicken shed. These are widely available commercially at quite reasonable prices.
Take into account that chickens thrive on daylight, so purchase a chicken coop which has a window to ensure that you have happy chickens. The window should be positioned to maximise the sunlight entering the chicken coop. The only time when chickens do not like too much sunshine is when they are roosting, so the coop should have a darkened roosting corner.
Obviously the size of the chicken coop is dependent on the size of the garden, and small sized chicken coops are available for small gardens (you do not have to own a field). But if you are lucky enough to have a large garden, you could cordon off an area of the garden for use solely as a chicken run. This way the rest of the garden can be put to other uses.
Buying the Chickens
It is best to get at least three hens at first, and if increasing your number of hens at a later date, do not add individual hens, instead add three or four hens at a time. This prevents the chickens from fighting and intimidating the new arrivals - they get very protective over ’their’ garden.
Recommended breeds to buy are the Light Sussex, Jersey Giant, or the Rhode Island Red hens.
When buying hens if possible take someone with you who already keeps poultry. That way you can get some advice on what looks like good stock. Buy from a breeder, making sure that the hens look clean and healthy.
Keep a record of how much you feed your chickens, and how many eggs they are producing. On average you should get one egg from each chicken each day. Also make sure that the chicken coop is kept clean and tidy, and regularly investigate the chickens for signs of disease/mites.
Taming and Feeding Chickens
To tame your chickens, go right into the centre of the chicken coop to feed them. Give them food daily (pellets are recommended), and a handful of corn in an afternoon, that way they will get used to having you around very quickly.
A small amount of grit will also need to be fed to the chickens on a monthly basis to aid their digestion.
Keeping chickens helps to keep weeds down, gives you manure for growing plants, gives a source of fresh eggs, and also gives children some new pets to care for.
