Learning How To Keep Chickens At Home
Since the start of the global pandemic in 2020, many people have decided to keep chickens, so their families have a ready supply of fresh eggs. The pandemic scared many people with the lack of some food items, and keeping chickens is an excellent way to get fresh eggs for you and your family. However, there are many factors to consider before going out and buying your chickens, and you will need to ensure you have a suitable environment for them and understand their needs. Below are some tips to help you start keeping chickens at your home and what you will need to consider keeping them safe.
A Place For Them To Live
When you keep chickens, you will need a chicken coop to give them somewhere safe at night they can roost. There are many pre-built chicken coops you can choose from to buy, and you can also consider making a wooden chicken coop yourself. You need to ensure the chicken coop is well built and offers protection for the chickens, but you will need easy access to it to gather the eggs they lay each day as well. When you ensure your chickens’ welfare and keep them happy and contented, they will be more productive egg layers, so it is within your interests to keep your chickens happy.
Offer Protection From Predators
You will also need to provide a safe environment for your chickens and offer them protection from predators. There are many wild animals in the UK that can attack and kill your chickens, such as:
- Foxes – Will attack and eat chickens
- Badgers – They will also attack and eat chickens
- Rats – Rats will go for the chicken eggs rather than attack the chicken
- Mice – Mice have also been known to go for chicken eggs
- Birds of Prey – Birds of prey will also attack chickens if they are out in the open
Another animal that can attack your chickens is the domestic cat, which can prove a real nuisance. Cats are also difficult to prevent from gaining access to your property, so you must remain vigilant.
Learn How To Care For Chickens
Once you have your chicken coop and have provided as much protection against predators as possible, you will need to learn how to care for your chickens. There are plenty of online resources you can turn to for help on the subject, and there are websites you can browse books you can read and videos on YouTube you can watch on the subject. Once you are comfortable with the level of care you will need to provide your chickens, you can then look to see which variety you will keep and start filling your chicken coop.
Where To Get Your Chickens?
There are plenty of places where you can get chickens to keep for egg production, and your local farm is an excellent place to start. However, there are also places where you can get chickens to adopt, such as the British Hen Welfare Trust, where you can give unwanted chickens a loving home. They have various locations throughout the UK, and you can get chickens for your coop that need a loving home ad that will be excellent egg layers for you and your family.
