Beginner’s guide to KEEPING CHOOKS
ECO-CONSCIOUS CHOICE
Keeping chickens is an easy way to live more sustainably, as our feathered friends will help eliminate scraps, produce an all-natural fertiliser and assist with composting – not to mention providing all those eggs! You may not know that free-range chicken eggs are not only tastier, but are actually better for you when compared to store-bought varieties. Chicken owners also report feeling more connected with nature, claiming their fowl bring them a sense of peace, serenity and harmony.
WHERE TO BUY YOUR BIRDS
Rentachook, rentachook.com.au Rentachook started in 2001 as an idea to encourage people to keep chickens – an environmentally sustainable pet. The concept is that you get to try keeping chooks without having to commit to having them permanently.
Barter & Sons Hatchery, barterandsons.com.au
This Nsw-based company has been selling chickens for more than 75 years and offer freight across NSW, ACT and Victoria. Grown hens start from $11.
Gumtree, gumtree.com.au
If you’re looking to shop local for your laying hens, it could be worth checking out Gumtree for people selling in your area.
MAKING YOUR HENS AT HOME
Depending on the look you’re going for, the coop prices range from, er, cheep to egg-spensive! All that your pecking pets really need is somewhere safe to perch at night and room to stretch out in the day. Australian councils have formalised regulations about keeping chickens in residential and rural areas, so be sure to do your research. While all states and territories permit chooks to be kept in residential areas, they do vary in terms of how many chooks you can keep, as well as some other conditions in relation to how the coop is constructed.
FEEDING YOUR FEATHERED FRIENDS
Just like humans, hens enjoy a variety of food, so try not to feed them the same thing every day. Full-grown chickens require quality food including poultry pellets, burrowing worms or insects and water. To supplement the calcium levels of laying hens, dried and crushed egg shells should be added to their food occasionally, and for a treat add leafy greens or yoghurt. Your birds will also need a supply of fresh water, as they drink 500ml to one litre per day.
Foods to avoid feeding your chickens include: rhubarb,
avocado, chocolate, onion, garlic, citrus fruits, raw green potato peels, and dried or undercooked beans.
COST OF KEEPING CHOOKS
Depending on how many birds are in your flock, these great little pets are reasonably inexpensive to care for. After the initial costs, chickens are one of the most affordable pets around. On average, chickens will cost approximately $25 a month, with the addition of animal bedding, which will cost less than $10 a month.