Caring For Chickens: A Beginner's Guide To Happy Hens

Keeping chickens as pets can be a rewarding experience, but it requires careful planning and commitment. Before adopting chickens, it is essential to consider the space, time, and financial requirements. Chickens need a safe, clean, and comfortable environment, including a well-ventilated and predator-proof coop with enough space for nesting, roosting, and foraging. They are social animals that thrive in flocks, so it is recommended to have at least two chickens to prevent loneliness. As pets, they require daily care and interaction, including feeding, cleaning, and providing opportunities for exercise and enrichment, such as dust baths and chicken toys. Potential health issues and veterinary care costs should also be considered, as chickens can attract parasites and are susceptible to diseases like bumblefoot. Adopting adult chickens from shelters or buying chicks online or from reputable breeders are options to consider when starting your flock.

Housing: Provide a safe, weatherproof coop with nesting boxes, perches, and adequate space

When it comes to housing your pet chicken, there are several important factors to consider. Firstly, providing a safe and secure environment is essential. This includes protecting your chickens from predators and ensuring they have adequate space to roam and exhibit natural behaviours.

To start, you'll need to build or buy a chicken coop. The coop should have solid walls and a sturdy roof to keep your chickens safe from predators. It is recommended that the coop has four solid walls, but if you opt for an enclosed run, three solid walls and a secure fence can also keep your chickens safe. Ensure that the fence is high enough so that predators cannot jump over it and that it extends underground to prevent burrowing. The coop should be well-ventilated, draft-free, and big enough so that your chickens have room to move around. As a rule of thumb, each chicken should have at least 3 to 5 square feet of space in the coop, while smaller bantam chickens require a minimum of 2 square feet each. If your chickens will be spending most of their time in the coop, make sure to provide even more space for them to comfortably roam and exhibit natural behaviours.

In addition to the coop, chickens also need access to an outdoor area, or a run, where they can exercise, forage, and roam freely. This can be a fully enclosed area attached to the coop, or it can be a separate, fenced-in section of your yard. The fenced area should be high enough to prevent chickens from escaping and predators from entering.

Nesting boxes are another crucial component of chicken housing. These boxes provide a comfortable area for hens to lay eggs and should be placed in a dark, quiet area of the coop. It is recommended to have at least one nesting box for every three to four hens, with each nesting box measuring approximately 1 square foot. The nesting boxes should be slightly raised off the ground to prevent flooding and placed in the darkest, calmest corner of the coop.

Perches are also important to include in your chicken's housing setup. They provide a comfortable resting and roosting place for your chickens. Install several perches off the floor of the coop, spacing them about 14 inches apart to provide separation between the birds. Each chicken should have about 12 inches of perch space, and the perches can be made from wooden dowels, branches, or boards.

Feeding: Ensure a nutritious diet with pelleted food, vegetables, and fruits, and always have fresh water available

Feeding your pet chicken is a straightforward task. Chickens enjoy a variety of foods, including pelleted food, vegetables, and fruits. They also require access to fresh, clean water daily. You can also offer the occasional treat.

It is important to provide a nutritious and well-balanced diet for your chicken. A good diet consists of high-quality pelleted food or crumble designed specifically for chickens. A fresh bowl of pellets or crumble should always be available for your chicken to graze on. The type of feed you select should be based on the life stage of your chicken and the manufacturer's recommendations. For example, "starter" feed is best for young chicks under six weeks old, while "grower" feed is suitable for adolescent chickens between 6 to 16 weeks old. On the other hand, "layer feed" is formulated for egg-laying hens older than 16 weeks.

In addition to commercial feed, chickens can benefit from supplements such as soluble oyster shell grit, which provides calcium for strong eggshells. Vegetables and fruits are also a healthy addition to their diet. It is important to avoid homemade diets, as they often lack the essential nutrients that chickens need to stay healthy.

Chickens are social animals and are typically part of a flock in the wild. Therefore, it is recommended to have more than one chicken as a pet, so they can keep each other company. This also allows them to engage in natural social behaviours such as dust bathing and foraging.

As a pet owner, it is important to be vigilant about your chicken's health and well-being. Regularly inspect your chickens for signs of external and internal parasites, such as mites, lice, and worms. Symptoms of parasite infections may include feather loss, weight loss, lethargy, and pale combs. To prevent parasites, ensure your chicken's environment is clean by regularly removing manure from nesting materials and cleaning feed and water stations. Additionally, providing adequate space for your chickens to roam and exercise is essential for their health and happiness.

Health: Regularly check for parasites and provide dust baths to remove excess oils and debris

As a pet owner, it is important to prioritise your chicken's health. One way to do this is by regularly checking for parasites. External and internal parasites, such as mites, lice, and worms, can cause discomfort, disease, and reduced egg production. Symptoms of parasites may include feather loss, weight loss, lethargy, and pale combs. Thus, it is important to keep an eye out for these signs and take your chicken to a veterinarian for treatment if needed. Additionally, it is a good idea to routinely clean the coop and nesting boxes to reduce the presence of parasites.

Another way to care for your chicken's health is by providing dust baths. Chickens groom themselves through preening and dust baths. Dust baths help absorb excess oils on a chicken's feathers and skin, and they can also dislodge debris and parasites. To create a dust bath, place clean sand, peat moss, or diatomaceous earth on the floor of their coop or in a shallow container. It is important to note that a dust bath should not be left in the coop for more than 12 hours at a time. Chickens also enjoy dust bathing together, as it is a form of social behaviour.

Socialising: Chickens are social, so get multiple birds to prevent loneliness and boredom

Chickens are social animals with a strong instinct to live in flocks. They are happier and healthier when they have companions. A single chicken may experience loneliness, stress, and boredom without the company of other chickens. Therefore, it is important to get more than one chicken as a pet.

When starting your flock, it is recommended to begin with baby chicks. However, this requires a lot of time and effort as they need to be kept warm, fed, hydrated, and require a lot of sleep. They should be handled gently from a young age so they can get comfortable around humans. If you are a beginner, it is best to purchase pullets or laying hens instead of chicks.

There are many chicken breeds to choose from, including Silkies, Rhode Island Reds, Easter Eggers, Brahmas, Plymouth Rock, Leghorn, Faverolles, and bantam-sized chickens. The breeds range in colouring and size. Chickens can be kept for eggs, meat, for show, or just as pets.

Before getting your chickens, ensure you have a safe, weatherproof coop or shelter for them to rest, lay eggs, hide from danger, and be guarded against weather elements. The coop must be well-ventilated, predator-proof, and should have plenty of space for the number of chickens you plan to keep. Each chicken should have at least 3 to 5 square feet of space in their coop, while bantams should have 2 square feet.

Chickens also need access to an outdoor pen or "run" where they can exercise, forage, and roam freely. They need space to roam and cannot be housebroken. Their environment should be kept clean by regularly removing manure, cleaning feed and water stations, and replacing worn items in the coop.

Veterinary Care: Find an experienced poultry vet for routine check-ups and emergency treatment

As with any pet, it is important to find a veterinarian with experience treating your type of animal. In the case of chickens, you should look for a poultry-savvy veterinarian in your area. Not all avian veterinarians are experienced with chickens, so it is worth doing your research before registering your pet with a practice. Ask local farm animal sanctuaries or rescue groups for recommendations, as they will likely have good contacts.

Chickens can become ill or get injured, so it is important to be prepared for this eventuality. Vet exams and treatment can easily cost over $100 per visit, so it is worth budgeting for this. Routine check-ups are recommended, and these can include annual examinations, blood and stool testing, and parasite control. Chickens with parasites often have underlying health conditions, so it is important to get them treated as soon as possible.

Chicken owners should also be aware of common chicken diseases and their symptoms, so they can spot them early on. External and internal parasites, for example, can cause discomfort, disease, and reduced egg production. Regularly inspect your chickens for signs of mites, lice, and worms, and symptoms such as feather loss, weight loss, lethargy, and pale combs.

In addition to finding a good vet, it is worth noting that some chicken keepers choose to trim their chickens' nails at home. A vet can teach you how to do this, and it is a good way to save on costs.

Frequently asked questions