Post by huswyf on Aug 17, 2006 12:08:30 GMT
I thought I'd start a thread about chicken welfare and chicken keeping.
I started keeping chickens in March this year after spending a couple of months researching and preparing. I have to say that it isn't that difficult and think more people should keep their own hens the reasons being:-
1. You know that the hens are cared for and not mistreated in any way.
2. You know what they have been fed on - no hormones or other crap.
3. Cuts down on food miles.
4. Their droppings make excellent compost.
5. Proper fresh eggs, not the watery ones you get at the shops.
6. If allowed to roam or their pen is moved around the garden they'll take care of slugs and other pests.
7. They are actually quite sweet creatures once tame.
8. Relatively trouble free if you research and get set up properly in the first place. Care wise it is similar to keeping a rabbit and much less work than cats or dogs.
Now, I keep hens for eggs as keeping them for meat would require a male chicken and those are noisy and upset the neighbours. You don't need a male chicken at all unless you intend to breed chickens.
You might need permission from the Council to keep them if your property is covered by by-laws or covenants - this is particularly relevant if you live in a Council or ex-Council property. If you rent from anyone else check with your landlord.
Other than that you don't need to register with DEFRA unless you keep over 50 birds or are keeping them for commercial purposes.
If you want, you can take rescued ex-battery hens from the Battery Hen Welfare Trust www.thehenshouse.co.uk/. They will still lay eggs and are usually quite healthy apart from feather loss when you first get them. Contact the Trust for more information.
Other useful links
DEFRA page on standards for hen welfare
www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/farmed/layers/
Wernlas Collection
Rare breed centre for poultry. We got our hens (Friesian Fowl) from there. Shaun and Sue who run it are incredibly helpful and what they don't know about chickens isn't worth knowing.
www.wernlas.com/
Keepers Lodge Poultry
Another good place for the beginner to go. We got our chicken house from here. Again they are very helpful and knowledgable.
www.keeperslodgepoultry.co.uk/
Down the Lane
A general site on self-sufficiency and alternative lifestyles but this section is about chickens. Has some good info about starting out and general chicken welfare.
www.downthelane.net/Page_7.html
Wassail
Karen
Edited because the censor changed the usual word for male chicken to thingerel
;D
I started keeping chickens in March this year after spending a couple of months researching and preparing. I have to say that it isn't that difficult and think more people should keep their own hens the reasons being:-
1. You know that the hens are cared for and not mistreated in any way.
2. You know what they have been fed on - no hormones or other crap.
3. Cuts down on food miles.
4. Their droppings make excellent compost.
5. Proper fresh eggs, not the watery ones you get at the shops.
6. If allowed to roam or their pen is moved around the garden they'll take care of slugs and other pests.
7. They are actually quite sweet creatures once tame.
8. Relatively trouble free if you research and get set up properly in the first place. Care wise it is similar to keeping a rabbit and much less work than cats or dogs.
Now, I keep hens for eggs as keeping them for meat would require a male chicken and those are noisy and upset the neighbours. You don't need a male chicken at all unless you intend to breed chickens.
You might need permission from the Council to keep them if your property is covered by by-laws or covenants - this is particularly relevant if you live in a Council or ex-Council property. If you rent from anyone else check with your landlord.
Other than that you don't need to register with DEFRA unless you keep over 50 birds or are keeping them for commercial purposes.
If you want, you can take rescued ex-battery hens from the Battery Hen Welfare Trust www.thehenshouse.co.uk/. They will still lay eggs and are usually quite healthy apart from feather loss when you first get them. Contact the Trust for more information.
Other useful links
DEFRA page on standards for hen welfare
www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/farmed/layers/
Wernlas Collection
Rare breed centre for poultry. We got our hens (Friesian Fowl) from there. Shaun and Sue who run it are incredibly helpful and what they don't know about chickens isn't worth knowing.
www.wernlas.com/
Keepers Lodge Poultry
Another good place for the beginner to go. We got our chicken house from here. Again they are very helpful and knowledgable.
www.keeperslodgepoultry.co.uk/
Down the Lane
A general site on self-sufficiency and alternative lifestyles but this section is about chickens. Has some good info about starting out and general chicken welfare.
www.downthelane.net/Page_7.html
Wassail
Karen
Edited because the censor changed the usual word for male chicken to thingerel
;D
