Introduction to Chickens
Chickens are an unusual but rewarding pet to keep. They are freindly, interesting and very inexpensive to keep.
Chickens can bekept in most gardens with only basic equipment needed to house them, they are though social animals so you should always have at least two. With undemanding care these intriguing pets will provide you with delicious fresh eggs and priceless entertainment.
Keeping a few chickens in the back garden has always been popular. In the last few years, poultry keeping has enjoyed massive growth, especially since the Channel 4 TV programmes and Jamie Oliver’s campaign. You can even buy Chicken coops in some of the DIY stores!
These days many of us are getting sick to death of mass produced tasteless supermarket food. What better than to nip into the back garden to get your fresh eggs for breakfast? Knowing the hens have been well kept, fed and loved.
This site is aimed at beginners. Here you will find everything you need to know to get started keeping chickens!What to keep them in? How many? What do they eat? How do I pick up a chicken? How many eggs will they lay?
Topic: Introduction to Chickens
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Keep chickens for 5p a day!
Recent surveys have shown that basic everyday grocery item prices are rising faster than ever, overall at least 12% in the last 12 months. Eggs for example have risen 39% over the last 12 months.
One effect of this is in the dramatic increase in families starting to keep their own chickens, usually between 4-6 birds in their gardens.
The Chicken House Company puts this partly down to the economic squeeze because of the savings that can be made. The other reason being the desire to return to 'the good life' and the increasing knowledge that chickens make great pets to have around the garden.
Once you have built your run or bought a coop, genuinely free range, laying birds cost on average around the £15 mark each.
These specially bred birds, that are fully vaccinated and come in a variety of breeds, produce up to and around 300 eggs per year.
The cost of feeding and housing a bird can work out as little as 2.5p-5.0p per day, or around £14 per year.
Compare that with buying 300 free range eggs in the supermarket. Where an average price for 'free range' eggs is now around 27p per egg. Which works out at £81 per year! (Some 'organic' eggs are now upwards of 35p per egg!.)
Each bird you keep can save you therefore about £67 every year. Four birds, perhaps the average kept, £270 every year, so in the first year you could save all your costs so the eggs are FREE.
It is recorded that the average individual consumes 170 eggs per year!
Chickens do make wonderful placid family pets as well as representing a major potential saving on the housekeeping.