Keeping Chickens at Home - Questions & Answers 1

A selection of frequently asked questions about keeping chickens and answers.

Should I keep chickens at home?

There's a few things to consider like can you provide them with care 365 days a year and how the neighbours are likely to react but as a general rule, yes. For a discussion on the pros and cons of keep chickens at home see Why Keep Chickens?

What size hen house do I need for my chickens?

One accepted rule of thumb is to allow a minimum of a square foot per bird assuming you're letting them out to get exercise. So a small 4 foot by 3 foot house would hold 12 hens maximum. Don't forget that larger breeds require more space than smaller ones. More information on chicken housing.

How much exercise space do chickens need?

For home or 'backyard' chicken keepers there is no set rule for this but a minimum run around 20 square feet would be enough for 4 hens. That's just 5 feet by 4 feet. Studies have shown that commercial free range hens don't tend to wander too far from their shed, despite being allowed 10 square metres per bird in the regulations.

Will chickens do any harm to my garden?

Yes they will. They love to scratch about, uprooting plants, and eat seeds and vegetables but on the other hand, they love to scratch about, uprooting weeds and eating slugs and other pest which they convert into valuable fertiliser. The best way is to either fence them into areas you want them to go or fence them out of areas you don't want them in.

What about my pet dog or pet cat with the chickens?

Most pet cats will be worried at least by chickens, many are scared stiff to start with. Give them a while to get used to these giant sparrows in the run and the normal reaction is to ignore each other. The exception is the feral cat, these will often attempt to take a chicken and some domesticated feral cats will hunt them. Normal pet cats are no problem

Dogs are larger and represent a greater threat if they decide to go for the chickens. You know your pet dog(s) and can judge them. If your pet is a large Rottweiler who doubles as guard dog and never listens to commands, you have a problem. Incidentally, small terriers can be just as bad. Most dogs will, once they know the chickens are part of the family and allowed will be fine. A lot depends on the individual dog.

See Keeping Chickens with a Pet Dog which includes a video of dog training.

Don't I need a cockerel to get eggs?

No! A hen will lay eggs regardless of there being a cockerel about. The only reason to get a cockerel is if you want to breed, obviously the eggs are infertile without his attentions. Remember the cockerel will crow and a loud call at 4.30am in the summer may turn your friendly neighbours off you. You really should consider the effect of the noise on those around you. See Noise Problems with Chickens

How many eggs will I get from a chicken?

This will depend on a number of things. Different breeds of hen will give different numbers of eggs. Roughly speaking this ranges from 250 to 280 a year. It also depends on how healthy and well fed the birds are and on their age. Older birds tend to lay less than younger hens.

Where can I buy some chickens from?

You can buy your chickens from breeders at various ages from day old chicks to point of lay and you can get ex-battery hens from welfare charity organisations - there is a list on this site of poultry breeders and suppliers

Chicken Keeping Questions & Answers

• Keeping Chickens at Home - Questions & Answers 1
• Keeping Chickens at Home - Questions & Answers 2
• Keeping Chickens at Home - Questions & Answers 3
• Keeping Chickens at Home - Questions & Answers 4