Why Raise Chickens:

• Raising chickens are a great way to earn money. You can also raise them for their meat and eggs.

• Their manure can be used as organic compost.

• They make great pets and are low maintenance as compared to dogs.

• You get that satisfying feeling after gathering fresh eggs in the morning.

• Chickens help keep your garden free from pests.

• There has been news that the chickens that lay the eggs we buy at supermarkets are mistreated. If you raise your own chickens, you can be sure that the sources of your eggs are happy animals.

How To Feed And Care For Your Chickens:

• Chickens eat anything but they eat mostly mash, layer pellets and corn.

• Newly hatched chicks should be given chick crumbs until 8 weeks old and grower pellets from 8-18 weeks.

• They like to eat fruit, bread, corn and leafy vegetables sometimes but not always or they get too fat and they will lay fewer eggs.

• Chickens do not eat fish, any kind of meat or raw potatoes.

• A chicken must drink at least 200ml of water daily.

• They need a dust bath to groom themselves.

• Their nest must be cleaned once a week.

The Cost Of Raising Chickens:

• You can buy domestic chickens at poultry farms and pet shops at £8 to £15. You can also get them at charitable institutions like the Battery Hen Welfare Trust for free.

• A big part of the cost would be in building a chicken coop and a fence. A coop can cost around £100 to £400.

• A 25kg bag of chicken feed will cost you £10. How long it will last depends on the chickens’ breed, their exercise, the kind of feed and the climate. A small-sized chicken can consume 100 to 150g of feed daily. The daily cost will be 4 to 6 pence of feed per chicken.

How To Choose The Chicken Coop:

• The coop must provide the chicken with adequate shelter from the heat, cold and rain. It should also keep out the predators.

• The coop should have 1 to 2 square feet nesting area and 3 to 4 square feet outdoor space for each chicken. A 5 x 2 feet poultry ark is enough to house 3 small chickens.

• The chickens should have a dust bath and exercise area preferably near their coop.

• Chickens have a life span of 15 years so their coop must last that long too.

• Chickens feel secure and at ease living in a coop and lay more eggs as a result.