Backyard Chicken Keeping
Keeping chickens is a very rewarding and engaging, not to mention practical, hobby. From lowering the population of garden pests, to fertilising and turning over soil, to providing delicious eggs, keeping chickens has a wide range of benefits.
Chicken keeping has been a practice for such a long time that there are now a huge variety of breeds, each with their own traits.
FUN FACT: The chickens we have at Seed Lakeside Community Gardens are Pekins and Wyandottes. Why not look them up, then come see some in the flesh at the Garden?
For example, bantam breeds are smaller versions of the larger breeds, and are ideal for small urban yards.
Silkies and Pekins are both breeds that are small, friendly, fluffy and make good pets, but are not good egg layers as so much energy goes into feather production.
For high egg production, breeds such as Sussex, Australorp, Langshans, Leghorns, and Rhode Islands are all great, and have been bred in both standard and bantam sizes.
Commercial breeds, such as Isa Browns, generally have shorter laying lives and shorter lives overall. They can develop health problems due to their unnaturally high egg output and require higher protein diets and supplements. It’s better to get a heritage breed such as those listed above.
Chickens need an absolute minimum of 1m2 per hen, and remember that they are flock creatures, so getting only one is a big no-no. Also, in order to facilitate a proper flock hierarchy, it is a good idea to get at least three.
Make sure your chicken coop is predator proof, from foxes and rats, but also snakes and birds of prey.
Cleaning the chicken coop regularly is vital. Daily cleaning is ideal if you can, just pick up any outstanding muck and poo, and replace the bedding entirely once a month. The coop should smell like the bedding you are using (straw, wood shavings), not sour and unpleasant.
Feed your chickens a commercial layer pellet, supplemented with fresh greens and other vegetable kitchen scraps like carrot tops, and also weeds.
Worms and parasites should be kept in check by keeping the coop clean; however, if there is a worm outbreak, use a commercial wormer and follow the instructions on the bottle.
Chickens can sometimes get sick, and there are several common illnesses among poultry. If your chickens are showing signs of illness, like listlessness, weight loss, bloody droppings, discharge from the eyes and nose, or anything that is not usual for your chooks, consult an avian veterinarian.