Keeping chickens is an easy straightforward task which requires little effort. As with anything you will learn from experience that the key to keeping chickens is organisation. They need a secure run, access to fresh water, a healthy and varied diet (organic if possible), somewhere to lay and somewhere to roost. Chickens like to keep themselves clean and to do this they dry bathe; so provide them with a tray of sand – an old baking tray is ideal. For the purpose of egg production you don’t need a cockerel although a cockerel does have a calming effect on the chickens, unfortunately this may have the opposite effect on your neighbours!
Eggs
There is nothing to beat the taste of your own fresh eggs! A good hybrid will lay over two hundred eggs a year and you can store eggs for up to three weeks; consider this when you are working out how many chickens you want to keep. Collect your eggs every day.
Feeding
Chickens will eat almost anything, it is very important that they get a varied diet. Try and feed them organically and allow them access to fresh grass and water. Remember you are what you eat! If you want good eggs you must feed your chickens well. They provide a great way to get rid of those household scraps.
Choosing your Chickens
There are many different breeds of chickens but they all share one common ancestor, the jungle fowl (Gallus Gallus). The most suitable chicken for egg production is the hybrid. Hybrid chickens are the result of crossing two other breeds having desirable qualities; the results can be increased egg production, size, weight gain, egg size/colour etc. Most hybrids will not hatch eggs. Hybrids come in a variety of colours, some like the Bluebell and the Amber are particularly colourful birds. An excellent bird for egg production and hardiness is the Black Rock. Chickens make great pets and kids love them! Keeping chickens will give children a confidence that can only be gained by an understanding of the natural world and where their food comes from.
The Family Ark
At Urban Arks we encourage children to get into their wellies and get involved with their Garden! Chickens make great pets and kids love them. Keeping chickens will give children a confidence that can only be gained by an understanding of the natural world and where their food comes from. Interacting with animals has been shown to have positive effects on the behavioural development of young children. Animal assisted therapy is also becoming more and more popular in helping children with special needs.
Keeping chickens is an easy straightforward task which requires little effort. As with anything you will learn from experience that the key to keeping chickens is organisation. They need a secure run, access to fresh water, a healthy and varied diet (organic if possible), somewhere to lay and somewhere to roost. Chickens like to keep themselves clean and to do this they dry bathe; so provide them with a tray of sand – an old baking tray is ideal. For the purpose of egg production you don’t need a cockerel although a cockerel does have a calming effect on the chickens, unfortunately this may have the opposite effect on your neighbours!
Eggs
There are many different breeds of chickens but they all share one common ancestor, the jungle fowl (Gallus Gallus). The most suitable chicken for egg production is the hybrid. Hybrid chickens are the result of crossing two other breeds having desirable qualities; the results can be increased egg production, size, weight gain, egg size/colour etc. Most hybrids will not hatch eggs. Hybrids come in a variety of colours, some like the Bluebell and the Amber are particularly colourful birds. An excellent bird for egg production and hardiness is the Black Rock. Chickens make great pets and kids love them! Keeping chickens will give children a confidence that can only be gained by an understanding of the natural world and where their food comes from.