A Family Guide To Keeping Chickens (32 page)

Even big chickens can be easy to handle once they are tame

Roll call!

Taming will be harder with some of the flightier breeds and some never enjoy being handled. Sometimes it’s better for free-range birds to remain slightly cautious so they are alert to danger.

Pick your times for chicken taming. They are less likely to be interested when they’re full for the night and ready to go to roost. When initially let out, they will be anxious to be first at the food and water, and may ignore your overtures of friendship.

You can train your chickens to come when you call by associating treats with a certain sound. Try rattling some corn in a tin – they will soon cotton on to this and come running at the sight of their tin. This is particularly useful if you need to get them back into their run quickly.

Adding to Your Flock

Eventually you may want more chickens or need to replace losses. While settling a new group of chickens can result in battles, adding to an established flock can start a war!

The flock will see new chickens as intruders and are likely to attack them. Some breeds are more accepting than others, but don’t add just one or two hens to a group of several – the newcomers will have a very hard time and may even be killed. Ideally the new hens should equal or outnumber the existing flock.

If you fancy some new breeds, consider whether they will mix with the hens you already have. Adding an easily dominated type to a flock of assertive chickens is a recipe for disaster.

Before buying more hens, you should acquire a spare house and run so the new arrivals can be quarantined. Additional housing will always be useful for any birds that need isolation.

Position the housing so the hens can see each other, but are not close enough to pass on any disease (make sure you don’t transfer infection yourself via clothing or equipment). Take this opportunity to worm all the hens and treat for parasites.

The new birds should be kept separately for about three weeks – don’t introduce them to the others until you are sure that all is well.

This is best done at night. Once all the chickens have settled down, pop the new girls on to the perches amongst the old ones.

All will be well while it’s dark – cover any windows so that the birds stay in darkness until you let them out.

There will be scuffles when you do but plenty of feeders, drinkers and distractions will help. Confined hens will need longer than free-range birds to sort out their differences, but as long as they aren’t overcrowded they should settle down eventually.

Key Points

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Two is the minimum number of hens to keep – three is better

•
Even if you plan to expand, it’s easier to start with a manageable number

•
Never overstock

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Don’t mix timid breeds with assertive ones

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Start with pullets at point of lay

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Birds bred in poor conditions may have diseases

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Chickens for sale should be alert with good feathering, clean eyes, nostrils and bottoms

•
Ask about vaccinations

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A good breeder will give advice and be willing to exchange unsatisfactory birds

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Auctions are interesting to visit but full of pitfalls when buying

•
Keep chickens cool and comfortable when travelling

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Prepare everything before the chickens arrive, put them straight into their house and keep their surroundings peaceful

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Hens must establish a pecking order so provide extra feeders and distractions

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Separate bullies and victims but only if necessary

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Food encourages chickens to become tame

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A flock will see new chickens as a threat

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New chickens should be quarantined for at least three weeks

Are you ready to buy some chickens now?

Question One

What would be a good number of chickens to start with?

(a) One

(b) Three

(c) Twenty

Question Two

What is the easiest way to buy your first chickens?

(a) As hatching eggs

(b) As day-old chicks

(c) As point-of-lay hens

Question Three

Where would you be most likely to buy some satisfactory chickens?

(a) From a well-known breeder

(b) At an auction or market

(c) From a pet shop

Question Four

How will you bring your new chickens home?

(a) In a travelling box on the back seat of the car

(b) On your lap

(c) In the car boot

Question Five

How should you pick up a chicken?

(a) By the legs

(b) By the wings

(c) With one hand underneath and one on top

Answers

One (b); Two (c); Three (a); Four (a); Five (c)

Did you get all the answers right? Check
Chapter 7
again before buying your first chickens!

‘The chickens have come home to roost’: This is used when someone faces the consequences of a foolish or bad action. For example: ‘Sam was always teasing the girls, but his chickens came home to roost when Natalie stood up to him’.

What is the best time to buy chickens?

When they are going ‘cheep’!

Did you hear about the farmer who bred three-legged chickens?