KEEPING CHICKENS
One of the highlights of each day for me is visiting the girls!
I offer them organic food-scraps, freshen up their water, and sprinkle an organic heritage grain mix -
in return, we are rewarded with farm fresh organic eggs daily.
FOR CHICKEN KEEPING FIRST-TIMERS, THERE ARE FANTASTIC COMPANIES OUT THERE SPECIALISING IN A
"TRY BEFORE YOU BUY" BACKYARD CHICKEN OPTIONS THAT WILL COME TO YOUR HOME AND SET UP A LITTLE A-FRAME COUP AND CHOOKS TO BOOT FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE BACKYARD CHOOKS BEFORE YOU JUMP INTO THE FULL "ALL-IN" CHOOK COMMITMENT ZONE. IT TAKES ALL THE GUESS WORK AND ANXIETY OUT OF IT. IT'S ACTUALLY HOW I STARTED AND FOUND THE EXPERIENCE REALLY EXCITING, EASY, AND SUPER REWARDING. I'VE HAD BACKYARD CHOOKS EVER SINCE AS A RESULT. THERES NOTHING QUITE LIKE FETCHING BREKKIE FROM YOUR OWN CHICKEN COUP AND THE TASTE OF A FRESH ORGANIC EGG FROM YOUR OWN URBAN FARMYARD CHICKENS. 
TIPS FOR KEEPING CHOOKS Isa Browns are the friendliest, easy care chickens around. They lay regularly and produce great eggs. They eat everything and are super chill around humans. Hybrid chooks are gorgeous to look at and lay beautiful coloured eggs (IE RAINBOW EGGS ARE ALL THE RAGE ATM), but are very different in temperament to a standard Isa brown, and can sometimes be a little high maintenance. Keep your coup predator-tight to avoid unwanted visitors. One of the most common reasons for not keeping chickens is the feared thoughts of rats, snakes, foxes etc. If you have a great enclosure, you will not have a problem. There are tonnes of coup kits on the market now which you can purchase, and then add your own bespoke-ness to! Chickens get super thirsty and need loads of water. Keep them super hydrated. (I learned this the hard way sadly) Great trick for introducing new younger chicks to the coup - to avoid a pecking order disaster, bring the new arrivals in later in the day/evening when its darker, so the older girls are tired and sleepy. String up an iceberg lettuce or two so they dangle from top of coup - this will distract the established chickens away when they wake up and avoid them pecking the new girls, as they will be busier focused on eating this juicy treat instead of showing them who's boss. |
KEEPING CHICKENS IS SO REWARDING. IT ALSO FEELS GREAT TO ENGAGE IN SUCH A SUSTAINABLE PROCESS - FOOD SCRAPS DON'T GET THROWN INTO THE TRASH/LANDFILL BUT ARE RATHER FED TO THE GIRLS, EGGS ARE FRESH FROM THE COUP WITH NO NASTY WASTEFUL PACKAGING, THE EGG SHELLS CAN BE RE-USED AND EITHER BE MIXED INTO THE FEED TO HELP THEIR CALCIUM LEVELS WHICH IN TURN IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF THE EGGS, OR CRUSHED UP AND USED AS A NATURAL SNAIL DETERRENT IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN.
IT'S ALL A BIG BEAUTIFUL WIN/WIN ORGANIC SUSTAINABLE CYCLE. 
"It may be the cock that crows, but it is the hen that lays the eggs." Margaret Thatcher
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