Keeping Chickens For Eggs

Keeping Chickens - Back Garden Chicken Coop

Want a hobby that actually gives something 'back' in eggs, manure for your compost heap, and affection?

The chicken is one of the most common and widespread domestic animals. And with a hens population of more than 24 billion in 2003, (according to some sources) there are now more hens in the world than any other bird.

Humans have through the ages mainly as a source of food, with both their meat and their eggs being consumed.

There has been a recent 'peak' of interest in chicken keeping, caused by celebrity cooks highlighting the awful conditions of battery reared hens, higher food prices and the supposed economic downturn.

The idea of having chucks in your yard and the idea of having fresh eggs from your own poultry, doesn't single you out or causes as many 'home farm' type comments as it used to, of becoming a modern day Tom & Barbara Good - from the television series!

In fact there's something 'modern' in these days of consumer excess in returning to a more 'self sufficient' lifestyle.

Many people are growing their own veggies - either in their back yards or on council allotments. Many people are becoming concerned about what the food they eat actually contains and the buy organic movement seems to be gaining ground every year - forcing supermarkets to stock a more wider selection of organic produce.

Keeping chickens seems to be just a natural progression on this cultural shift.

Folk seem to be used to knowing friends and neighbours who keep poultry.

With the chance of a fresh home laid egg as part of the bargain, you'll probably get unlimited offers to help out with chicken keeping duties should you ever need to go away.

Also once you've seen the deep yellow yolk and tasted on the amazing different texture of the white, of one of your own back garden hens' eggs you'll never buy shop egg again.

In the pan, your eggs you'll raise your eyebrows at the difference too.

Your own chicken eggs stay together better than eggs bought in a store as they're absolutely fresh.

There's also the plus point that keeping chickens bring a completely new dimension to your garden - movement, sound and colour. Forget adding a pond, keeping chickens brings so much more!

Each chuck is an individual and many can be real 'characters' and, if handled whilst they're young, they can be very good pets for children.

Chicken keeping isn't all just eggs and cuddles, and there will be a element of household maintainence tasks for your chicken house and obviously, letting the chickens in and out of their chicken shed at first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

There's also the 'chore' of looking for eggs. This should be done a few times per day - just in case your chickens are afternoon 'layers'.

Another thing you need to be careful of when keeping chickens; is 'chicken watching'...

Many hours can be happily wasted watching your chickens scratch around the garden. If you're the sort of person who looks at hypnotising fires, you'll find chicken watching is addictive!

Keeping chickens is a financially scaleable hobby. If money is no object, then there's many beutifully looking made to measure chicken runs that can be purchased from numerous chicken keeping outlets.

If money is tight, then a home build chicken house can be built for virtually nothing, using off cuts of wood found laying around your loft.

A chicken coop just needs to be big enough for the chucks to roost in at night, and large enough to stretch their legs in during the day.

Also somewhere for them to scratch during the day time should be provided.

So no matter whether you're looking to build a chicken house, or buy a hand made chicken run or are just wanting to find out more about keeping chickens as a hobby; a world of chicken keeping joy awaits.

www.keeping-chickens.co.uk/eggloo-egloo-or-eglu/

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

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