farmyard poultry


The basics; housing and


bedding


Advice from Jude Pollock of Cotswold Chickens, www.cotswoldchickens.com


The first thing you need to consider when starting to keep chickens is what they are going to live in and whether or not you require a run or are going to free range them.


Unfortunately, most chicken house retailers are slightly economical with the truth about how many hens their houses and runs can accommodate. A general rule is a hand span per chicken on the perch inside and a square metre per chicken in the run - minimum. Chickens will naturally roost close together for comfort and security.


However their outside space is far more


important to consider, as cramped chickens will start to squabble and can cause serious injury to one another if kept in a small run. It's also very


important for chickens to have plenty of ventilation, as they have quite a delicate respiratory system, so keep vents open and if needs be, make more ventilation at the top of the hen house to encourage good air circulation.


Whether it be a traditional wooden hen house, a more modern plastic one or even the kids' play house converted, your


chickens will call it home and will settle into their routine lives quite quickly.


Foxes are a serious threat to chickens and this time of year especially so with their cubs to feed, so try and fox proof your run by adding a skirt of wire netting about 8-10 inches out from the edge of the bottom of run and pegged into the ground. The fox will quickly reach the wire and can't continue digging in a quest for a chicken supper! Make sure the catches or bolts on the house are secure and can't be pawed open.


Inside the house you can use most things as a base and to fill their nest boxes;


shavings are ideal as they are more absorbent than


shredded paper or


straw so you won't need to clean them out as often. Dust extracted straw is


often used in the winter to provide more insulation but it's recommended not to use it in the spring/summer months as it can easily harbour the dreaded red mite. A good tip to make it easy to clean the house is to place a fitted piece of lino into the base of the house so when you come to clean it out you can just remove, wash, dry and replace it with minimum fuss.


In the April issue, Jude discusses Health & Hygiene, including red mite prevention and treatment.


Country Living Ezine Page 22


www.farmnequineproperty.co.uk


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