Renovating
Lifestyle: Can I Keep Chickens in My Garden?
Fancy fresh eggs from your own backyard? Find out what keeping hens involves and whether your garden could be their perfect home
Keeping chickens used to be something only rural residents would consider doing, but today, more and more of us are keeping a few hens in our back gardens, whether we live in a city or the countryside. There are lots of benefits to having chickens. As you control what they eat, you can be sure of the quality of their eggs, with no fears of unwanted antibiotic residues or other nasties. As well as the eggs tasting fantastic, the chickens themselves will bring you great pleasure: there’s something very relaxing about watching chickens poking about the garden, looking for bugs and clucking contentedly.
Of course, looking after any animal requires time, thought and money, so read on to find out what’s involved and see whether your garden could be just the home for a handful of hens.
Expert advice from:
Tim Daniels, founder of poultrykeeper.com
Edward Boothman, chairman of The Poultry Club of Great Britain
Anne Perdeaux, author of A Family Guide to Keeping Chickens
Of course, looking after any animal requires time, thought and money, so read on to find out what’s involved and see whether your garden could be just the home for a handful of hens.
Expert advice from:
Tim Daniels, founder of poultrykeeper.com
Edward Boothman, chairman of The Poultry Club of Great Britain
Anne Perdeaux, author of A Family Guide to Keeping Chickens
How many chickens should I keep?
Chickens are flock animals and it’s unkind to keep them on their own without the company of feathered friends. ‘Three chickens is a good minimum number for newcomers to start with,’ says Tim Daniels. ‘Three birds will usually provide sufficient eggs for a small family.’
Chickens are flock animals and it’s unkind to keep them on their own without the company of feathered friends. ‘Three chickens is a good minimum number for newcomers to start with,’ says Tim Daniels. ‘Three birds will usually provide sufficient eggs for a small family.’
What equipment do I need?
Once you decide you want some chickens, think about housing. The coop will be the single biggest investment and you definitely get what you pay for. ‘As with every hobby, there are different levels of entry,’ says Tim. ‘For a small wooden chicken coop, you can expect to spend somewhere in the region of £200 to £700.’
Essential features of a chicken coop are nest boxes, ventilation (ideally adjustable) and perches for the birds to roost on, but factor in, too, how easy it will be to collect the eggs and clean inside.
Discover some sweet and quirky homes for the family pet
Once you decide you want some chickens, think about housing. The coop will be the single biggest investment and you definitely get what you pay for. ‘As with every hobby, there are different levels of entry,’ says Tim. ‘For a small wooden chicken coop, you can expect to spend somewhere in the region of £200 to £700.’
Essential features of a chicken coop are nest boxes, ventilation (ideally adjustable) and perches for the birds to roost on, but factor in, too, how easy it will be to collect the eggs and clean inside.
Discover some sweet and quirky homes for the family pet
There are foxes in my area – how can I keep the chickens safe?
‘Foxes are most likely to take chickens at night if they aren’t locked up, so your chickens should be safe ranging free,’ says Tim. ‘However, foxes can also appear during the day, especially when they’re feeding young during the spring and early summer.’
If you are concerned about foxes, you can buy a secure run for your hens, but think about its size. ‘Most chicken owners feel that keeping chickens in a small run is no better than buying eggs from caged hens,’ says Tim. ‘If you have a small garden, the best option is to let the chickens out to free range for a few hours when you are around, perhaps once you get home from work, so you can keep an eye on them. Obviously, this wouldn’t work for long if there are a lot of foxes in your area, but most people prefer to take a small risk to let their hens have some freedom.’
‘Foxes are most likely to take chickens at night if they aren’t locked up, so your chickens should be safe ranging free,’ says Tim. ‘However, foxes can also appear during the day, especially when they’re feeding young during the spring and early summer.’
If you are concerned about foxes, you can buy a secure run for your hens, but think about its size. ‘Most chicken owners feel that keeping chickens in a small run is no better than buying eggs from caged hens,’ says Tim. ‘If you have a small garden, the best option is to let the chickens out to free range for a few hours when you are around, perhaps once you get home from work, so you can keep an eye on them. Obviously, this wouldn’t work for long if there are a lot of foxes in your area, but most people prefer to take a small risk to let their hens have some freedom.’
What should I look for when buying or building a run?
When choosing a run, the bigger, the better is the rule, but it also needs to be secure. ‘If possible, bury wire netting at least 20cm into the ground to stop predators from digging under the fence,’ says Tim, ‘and cover the roof of the run.’
When choosing a run, the bigger, the better is the rule, but it also needs to be secure. ‘If possible, bury wire netting at least 20cm into the ground to stop predators from digging under the fence,’ says Tim, ‘and cover the roof of the run.’
How big does my garden need to be?
‘Legally, chickens can be kept in a very small space,’ says Tim, ‘but since the aim of most back garden chicken keepers is to not be like a commercial egg-laying unit and to enjoy eggs from free-range hens, I always advise as much space as you can give them.’
A 3m-long run will comfortably house three hens, but if kept in that all the time, chickens will become bored, and that’s when they pick up vices such as feather picking and bullying.
‘If you can provide a substrate in which they can scratch all day, looking for food and making dust baths, they will be much happier,’ says Tim. ‘Let them out into the garden for a few hours each day and they will be even happier! It’s best to do this a few hours before dark, as it means they will go in on their own as dusk falls and you won’t have to spend an hour trying to catch them!’
‘Legally, chickens can be kept in a very small space,’ says Tim, ‘but since the aim of most back garden chicken keepers is to not be like a commercial egg-laying unit and to enjoy eggs from free-range hens, I always advise as much space as you can give them.’
A 3m-long run will comfortably house three hens, but if kept in that all the time, chickens will become bored, and that’s when they pick up vices such as feather picking and bullying.
‘If you can provide a substrate in which they can scratch all day, looking for food and making dust baths, they will be much happier,’ says Tim. ‘Let them out into the garden for a few hours each day and they will be even happier! It’s best to do this a few hours before dark, as it means they will go in on their own as dusk falls and you won’t have to spend an hour trying to catch them!’
Can I keep chickens if I don’t have a lawn?
Yes. In fact, grass under a chicken run can quickly turn to mud with even a small number of chickens scratching around on it, so it’s better to use something like hardwood chippings. ‘Fill the bottom of the run with 10-12cm of chippings and make sure you don’t use bark chippings, as these can harbour mould spores that cause disease,’ says Tim.
Check out 10 gorgeous ways to go grass-free
Yes. In fact, grass under a chicken run can quickly turn to mud with even a small number of chickens scratching around on it, so it’s better to use something like hardwood chippings. ‘Fill the bottom of the run with 10-12cm of chippings and make sure you don’t use bark chippings, as these can harbour mould spores that cause disease,’ says Tim.
Check out 10 gorgeous ways to go grass-free
How many eggs will I get?
‘A lot of the pure-breed birds were bred for showing and they don’t lay so many eggs,’ says Edward. ‘If you want lots of eggs, go for a utility breed.’ Popular breeds for eggs include the Buff Orpington and the Sussex.
‘From a Sussex, you might get up to 220 eggs a year,’ says Edward. Hens stop laying during the darker winter months, as their laying is controlled by light stimulating the hormone-producing pituitary gland in the back of the eye. Expect to have few or no eggs during November and December.
‘A lot of the pure-breed birds were bred for showing and they don’t lay so many eggs,’ says Edward. ‘If you want lots of eggs, go for a utility breed.’ Popular breeds for eggs include the Buff Orpington and the Sussex.
‘From a Sussex, you might get up to 220 eggs a year,’ says Edward. Hens stop laying during the darker winter months, as their laying is controlled by light stimulating the hormone-producing pituitary gland in the back of the eye. Expect to have few or no eggs during November and December.
Will chickens disturb my neighbours?
‘Keeping a cockerel is really antisocial and I would strongly advise you not to have one if your neighbours are in close proximity to your garden,’ says Tim. ‘Hens are generally quiet, but some can be vocal when it gets light in the morning, when disturbed or frightened by a predator, or after laying an egg. Mostly, though, hens don’t cause problems with noise.’
‘Keeping a cockerel is really antisocial and I would strongly advise you not to have one if your neighbours are in close proximity to your garden,’ says Tim. ‘Hens are generally quiet, but some can be vocal when it gets light in the morning, when disturbed or frightened by a predator, or after laying an egg. Mostly, though, hens don’t cause problems with noise.’
Are hens child-friendly?
‘Children are usually fascinated by chickens and they can make lovely pets,’ says Anne. ‘The children can easily learn how to take responsibility for them and will have the satisfaction of supplying the family with new-laid eggs. They will also receive an object lesson in how food is produced!’
Chickens are also comparatively low maintenance. ‘They are ideal for busy parents as they require much less maintenance than a dog and won’t sulk if left alone for a few hours,’ says Anne. Chickens are also a safe option for children. ‘Unlike most pets, chickens don’t have teeth, so a sharp peck is about the worst that could happen,’ says Anne. ‘However, I wouldn’t recommend having a cockerel. They can be unpredictably aggressive and are capable of doing some damage with their spurs.’
When it comes to choosing the best breed for a family home, Edward has this advice: ‘Go for what’s known as a heavy breed. They are quiet and not flighty, so they won’t put children off. A Sussex, Buff Orpington or Rhode Island Red is a good choice.’
Browse inspiring ideas for a child-friendly garden
‘Children are usually fascinated by chickens and they can make lovely pets,’ says Anne. ‘The children can easily learn how to take responsibility for them and will have the satisfaction of supplying the family with new-laid eggs. They will also receive an object lesson in how food is produced!’
Chickens are also comparatively low maintenance. ‘They are ideal for busy parents as they require much less maintenance than a dog and won’t sulk if left alone for a few hours,’ says Anne. Chickens are also a safe option for children. ‘Unlike most pets, chickens don’t have teeth, so a sharp peck is about the worst that could happen,’ says Anne. ‘However, I wouldn’t recommend having a cockerel. They can be unpredictably aggressive and are capable of doing some damage with their spurs.’
When it comes to choosing the best breed for a family home, Edward has this advice: ‘Go for what’s known as a heavy breed. They are quiet and not flighty, so they won’t put children off. A Sussex, Buff Orpington or Rhode Island Red is a good choice.’
Browse inspiring ideas for a child-friendly garden
What if I go on holiday?
If you are going away, you will need to find someone who is happy to come in and let the chickens out and feed them while you’re not at home. Often, neighbours are delighted to do this in return for some eggs.
You can also buy automatic pop hole openers for your chicken house. These lock the chickens inside their house safely at night and open it up again in the morning.
If you are going away, you will need to find someone who is happy to come in and let the chickens out and feed them while you’re not at home. Often, neighbours are delighted to do this in return for some eggs.
You can also buy automatic pop hole openers for your chicken house. These lock the chickens inside their house safely at night and open it up again in the morning.
Will chickens damage my garden
Free-range chickens are likely to cause some damage in a garden. ‘They will scratch for insects and make dust baths in any loose soil,’ says Anne. ‘Stones tend to get kicked onto the lawn and seedlings may be eaten. There will also be droppings wherever the chickens roam.’
Keeping the chickens in a run is a simple solution, and if you think you might use one, do so from the start. ‘It’s better to start with having the chickens enclosed, rather than giving them unlimited free range and then changing your mind,’ says Anne.
Free-range chickens are likely to cause some damage in a garden. ‘They will scratch for insects and make dust baths in any loose soil,’ says Anne. ‘Stones tend to get kicked onto the lawn and seedlings may be eaten. There will also be droppings wherever the chickens roam.’
Keeping the chickens in a run is a simple solution, and if you think you might use one, do so from the start. ‘It’s better to start with having the chickens enclosed, rather than giving them unlimited free range and then changing your mind,’ says Anne.
Can I have chickens if I have a dog?
Every dog is different. Some are no threat, but others would chase or even kill a chicken given a chance. ‘Introduce them slowly, keeping your dog on a lead and under close control just in case,’ says Tim.
If your dog isn’t going to get on with your chickens, you will need to keep them separated by fencing off part of the garden or keeping the chickens in a portable run that can be moved to fresh pasture.
TELL US…
If you already have chickens and have more tips for beginners, please share them in the Comments below.
Every dog is different. Some are no threat, but others would chase or even kill a chicken given a chance. ‘Introduce them slowly, keeping your dog on a lead and under close control just in case,’ says Tim.
If your dog isn’t going to get on with your chickens, you will need to keep them separated by fencing off part of the garden or keeping the chickens in a portable run that can be moved to fresh pasture.
TELL US…
If you already have chickens and have more tips for beginners, please share them in the Comments below.
Be aware that chickens need some attention every day, just like a dog or cat. They need to be let out of their coop in the morning and shut up again at night, for safety. Think about where they are going to live, how you will feed and water them if you go away, and how you are going to keep them safe from predators, particularly the foxes that are widespread around the UK.
‘Research everything thoroughly first,’ says Anne Perdeaux. ‘There is now so much choice of equipment (and hens) that it’s easy to make expensive mistakes. For example, buying a substandard henhouse could not only prove poor economy, but also lead to heartache if it’s not secure against predators.’
Anne recommends speaking to experts. ‘Don’t just look online, but have a day out at a country show or one of the many poultry shows, so you can view what’s on offer,’ she says. ‘There should also be plenty of experienced chicken keepers around who are more than happy to share their knowledge with beginners.’
Edward Boothman warns against restricting your research to the internet. ‘Articles about diseases and difficulties can put you off,’ he says. ‘Hens are easy enough to look after. Do a little homework, speak to other poultry keepers and don’t be daunted by negative accounts online.’