Caring for hens - part 3 'space'...

Space - the final frontier...

No no no - wrong post...!

Helloo! Please help me be me - I need space to enjoy my life...

Just imagine living with 5 other humans in a room no bigger than the size of a double bed?

It would be a living hell.

A 'life' beyond comprehension.

That's the equivalent that a battery hen (since called 'caged' hen, now I'm hearing 'colony' hen) used to have...

A hen on the old system of intensive battery farming had no larger than the space of an A4 sheet of paper to stand on. No room to stretch, no room to lie and sprawl, no room to turn around easily and no room to flap wings, jump, scratch or indeed, anything else.

Can you imagine being restricted in such a way and also being amongst 5 other beings all restricted too?

This is why hens are 'de-beaked' so that they can't peck, eat and potentially kill each other out of frustration.

If you ever rescue and care for hens who have been farmed intensively in this manner - you will note that some can harbour distinct 'issues' and it's little wonder really, because in cramming them in so tightly, depriving them of any stimulation and natural habitat, their mental wellbeing is severely affected.

So when rescuing and caring for ex-'colony' hens this does need to be taken into consideration. Acres and acres of space may be daunting for them, they may get lost, predated and scared by flock separation. Yet giving them too little space (whilst being perhaps a better life) doesn't allow them room to seek out what some of them crave - which is a little calm and a little privacy.

Yes, everything you read will tell you about the flock mentality and how hens flock together - but chances are that rescued ex-bats won't be from the same cage (sorry collony), they won't know each other. All they will have known is chaos and restriction and being egg 'machines'.

Over the years I've observed that once the flock dynamic has settled down (i.e. a leader established and the entire pecking order in place) just like humans, there will still be hens who look for and actually like, time away from the others. They seek out peace, calm and either a shady spot under a tree (for safety) or a spot in the sun to bathe and feel the warmth on a spread wing.

So it's about balance.

General space requirements:

*** Before you get your hens, first consider how much space you can give them. This will determine the number of hens you can care for safely and properly.***

Safety is paramount. Foxes live in urban areas as much as rural areas and your space criteria must also include looking at how large a safe, enclosed, fox-proof area/run you can create in your garden/backyard?

Ideally then, if you cannot let your hens wander outside of a purpose built run - you should, in my opinion, allow at least 1 meter square per bird.

If, however, you can safely allow your hens a bit more room to roam in your garden / on your land every day, say, for at least an hour - then you could build a fixed secure run with a little less space per hen.

For example, here at 'secret cottage' we have a fixed walk-in run which is approx 5m square and we house 6 hens max in it. The coop we have within the run is suitable for 8 birds. Our garden however, extends to an acre and so we make sure that the hens get to free range very day for at least an hour - or for the entire time we are out in the garden - which is a lot more on many days.

Free to roam safey in our large garden.

This way, we know that they are safe and secure in their run, but not too restricted, yet they can have a good old roam and be really chickeny every day and Mr Fox won't come near because we, and our dogs, are there to deter him.

So that's the overall picture of space needed.

Runs and coops:

In terms of the run that you create, walk-in is by far preferable - no bending to get to them and to carry out daily tasks etc. But if that's not possible, then consider the height of any roof to your run from the hens' point of view. Hens can be larger birds than you think and once they have built up their strength they can actually jump quite high (up to my chest in one case) and will want to perhaps perch on a branch in the run and have a little jump n flap now and then - so 1m high the minimum I'd recommend.

I do not recommend arcs, too narrow, not high enough.

I see many of the arc-style coops and runs in various garden centres / pet stores etc and these are just too small. They are too low for such tall birds and the hens will never be able to fully stratch their wings etc (hens, like dogs, do yoga every day - you will see). I don't know why they persist in selling these runs, as, in my opinion, they are just not fit for purpose.

With regards to a coop that you may buy - be guided by the manufacturer as to how many hens it will house. The numbers always seem quite snug - but in actual fact for the purposes of sleeping, hens don't mind this. In winter it will keep them warm and providing you open any ventialtion in summer you need not worry too much about overheating, as ex-bat hens will have experienced, and survived, a lifetime of hotter temperatures on the farm than they ever will in a British summer outdoors in a coop. I must stress ventialtion is they key though and you need to clean them our regularly.

Creating different and stimulating spaces:

This is of particular importance if you're not able to offer them an intersting field to run around in all day. As I've mentioned above, their individual characteristics also mean that what's good for one hen isn't necessarily good for another, so different little spaces, nooks and crannies are essential to their wellbeing (I will write more on boredom busting in a future post).

Perspex roof, water butt & windbreak on corner.

I find that providing rain cover over at least 5m square of the run is essential (we have the whole of our run covered, as ex-bats don't know about rain and sheltering from it initially, and if they get wet they can easily catch colds  (particularly when sporting very few feathers). Stamping about in mud all day won't be great for them either. The best product we have found is a type of corrogated perspex which we have made a sloping roof from, attached guttering and used it with dual purpose to fill an attached water butt and capture rain water for the garden!

A shady area is also necessary - on hotter summer days (and we can't say we didn't have any of those year!) this is essential so that they can get cool and shade if needed. Chickens can get sunburn on any bold patches and their combs/wattles. A dry and sunny area is also good particularly where you situate their dust bath - to keep it dry and powdery for them.

We have also created a windproof corner as the end of the run bears the brunt of a prevailing wind - again just some sheets of perspex and duct tape. Some of the girls often take shelter here on blustery days.

Shady quiet spot under the coop.

A darker quiet spot has also proved to be popular - some of ours sit and daydream under the coop in the run and also in a snug corner under the nest box at the back.

One of the perching branches in the run.

 A higher spot and vantage point can be created by placing some thick branches in the run - ours use theirs now for looking into the window of our bathroom (which faces out onto the run) and calling to us whenever they see us in there! It's quite nice to be able to see them when I'm having a shower! Giving them perching branches also enables them to climb and play and strengthen up their feet and legs after 18 months of standing still all day.

Location, location, location:

I've had hens at 4 different houses I've lived in now and every time I've been lucky enough to be able to locate their run and coop within view from a window in the house - usually the kitchen. Where we are now I can see them from the bathroom. This is great to do if you can consider it because it means that at whatever the time of day, you can quickly pop to a window and check on them. It's reassuring to see them and also fun to be able to observe them from a distance and in dry weather! (particularly good the first morning after you get your hens and they come out to explore their new home. I guarantee you will watch them for hours!)

Situating them near to your house is also useful if you're locking them in manually at night and need to quickly check and see whether they have all come in to roost. Just a thought... 

So Phil n Kirsty can talk human living space - I can talk hen living space! Now where's that Channel 4 contract?.......

Jane hen having a wonderful dust bath in the veg patch!

Chantal xx

Postscript: Whilst your girls will usually want to comeback to you when you call them in (with a rattle or two of mealworms or corn) hens can, on occasion get broody and hide, or wander off because of their inquisitve natures. Please make sure that your garden/land has a safe boundary that they cannot cross.

Caring for hens - part 1 - Financial Considerations ...

Revised 23.06.14 apologies for the ropey photos - no pro camera when I first wrote this!

When it comes to looking after any type of animal the practical considerations are always going to be pretty much the same, I think.

The top three things to think about are money, space and time.

I have experience of raising and caring for chickens from scratch (as it were) and also of rescuing, rehabilitating and looking after ex-battery hens. It's my personal view (based on my Vegan ethics) that if you wish to care for hens, then rescued ex-bats should always be your first choice. This saves the animals from a horrific death and allows them to have a new lease of life and some enjoyment.

In this post I'm going to discuss the cost implications, because, being realistic about it - choices often come down to money and it's important to be capable of looking after any animal financially. Having to give an animal up due to lack of funds, or worse still, letting them suffer in any way due to lack of funds, is going to cause you and them, great heartache.

Thinking that you can just feed hens all your kitchen scraps is a rose tinted view of the reality. When I began caring for chickens I was prepared for some expenditure to get us started but admit to being a little naive as to the ongoing costs that can be associated with them - particularly with rescued ex-battery hens that often come with health issues as a result of the horrific factory life that they've had. So if money is tight, please consider taking on hens or any animals for that matter, very very carefully.

Some of your set-up costs might include:

Chicken coop and run with wind break, shade from sun, roof or covered area and fox-proofing (may need to be purpose built for your garden) and can cost anywhere from £200 upwards. Other options include electric fencing.

walk in run with roof, windbreak & foxproof edging

traditional wooden coop for 6 birds

Feed hoppers and drinkers (we have galvanised feed hoppers and two self-filling drinkers attached to a small tank which is connected to our house water), along with additional coop cups for grit and treats.

small water tank for fresh water to drinker on demand

drinker, feed hopper & coop cup for grit

Miscellaneous equipment such as nail clippers, plastic syringes (for feeding by hand if needed) and a carrying case for taking chickens to the vet.

Some of your ongoing costs might include:

Bedding for the coop (this has to be dust-free as chickens can suffer from respiratory problems - we use HempBed-E £11.95 for 15kg) changed every week in summer and fortnightly in winter. 

hempbed-E kept in a galvanised bin

A bath! yes chickens take a bath daily and as you watch your ex-bats develop their normal chicken behaviour you'll see that a patch of dry sandy earth is what they love. You can dig a purpose built hole and fill it with top soil and sand then add a cover so that it stays dry for them.

our girls having a dust bath on a warm sunny day

Chippings for the run - if your chickens are in a fixed run they will soon eat all of the grass and its nice for them to have some composted garden greens and / or bark chips or wood chips to rake through to keep them active and fit.

Feed - ex-bats do not have such robust digestive systems as they will have been fed on a special crumb-based feed on the farm. So you will need to continue with this and eventually graduate them on to a layers pellet feed. Mixed corn grain is also an ideal late afternoon feed - for nutrition and to help keep them warm at night. Some greenery each day is also a good idea. Our girls love baby gem lettuce and cauliflower leaves. We use organic greens and feeds only. 

recommended ex-bat feeds

£6.38 for 5kg

Treats - to be fed very sparingly (as too many can cause illnesses such as kidney disease) such as mixed seeds, seed blocks and dried mealworms. This might also include boredom busting toys for them (pecking blocks, cat treat balls, branches to climb on, CDs and mirrors are all fun for them.)

boxes of mixed grit, mixed seeds & mealworms

Cleaning equipment - such as sanitiser for cleaning out the coop, ground sanitiser for fixed runs, gloves, scoops, brushes, sponges and kitchen roll etc.

Health products - there are a myriad of products out there now for back yard chicken carers - the ones we have used include good health 'tonics' to add to drinking water and tonic to add to feeds. We also use citricidal when / if they get a cold and comb and wattle protector gel (like Vaseline) for frosty winter days. You will also need to worm your birds every month and can use herbal tonics (which we have had some success with), or vet-supplied products - which of course come at a higher cost. Other products in our chicken 'cabinet' include antibacterial wound powder, red mite dusting powder and anti-pecking spray.

a range of products we use to keep our girls clean & healthy

Vet bills - it's impossible to get pet insurance for chickens, because of their low monetary cost to buy vs the high cost of vet care when things go wrong. So you need to decide early on how much you are prepared to pay to have your hens looked after if they are ill. If you are taking the view that they are expendable and worth no money then - might I say - you are keeping chickens for the wrong reasons. With each of our girls we have had to attend the vets at one time or another and small consults with a batch of drugs etc may cost about £45, so its not for the faint hearted. But when you come to love your girls as much as we do its a price you end up paying without hesitation. But also be aware that chickens are stoic animals who often only present as being ill when their ailment is quite well advanced. For this reason they can be difficult to cure as illnesses are often too advanced and tough decisions will need to be made at the vets as to whether to pay for investigations that may yield few answers and little hope of saving a hen. I would also say, that in my opinion, because of this animals perceived low monetary value, vets are not trained to the extent they are with other animals, and this can make diagnosis, and hence treatment options, even more difficult.
 

At the end - again something to consider but ex-bats do not live as long as more naturally bred and reared hens and so the drop off rate is likely to be quite high. We have had all of our ladies cremated individually at a wonderful facility here in Devon (Valley Pet Crematorium) that specialises in pets and we have also had their ashes added to small wooden boxes which have name plates. That's how much we came to love them and value their companionship. BUT, I appreciate this is not for everyone and again, it's a major cost consideration as it costs us £60 each time. 

So these are just some of the financial implications of caring for even just a few chickens in your garden at home.

If none of this is an issue then hurrah! get in touch with the BHWT today and off you go...

If its made you think twice then that's also good and what I would say is that scary though that list may be - there are some positives:

• The set up costs are one time only if you look after all of their equipment well.
• If you have a small shed that you can convert to a coop, or if you are DIY-handy then you can make a coop at much less cost.
• If you can allow the hens safe free range then you don't need to build a huge fixed run, and things like a dust bath they will naturally make by themselves.
• You can make your own chips for the run - we have a wood chipper and chip up fallen branches and safe garden prunings etc.
• When you refresh their run and coop the old chips and bedding can all be composted and it will make great free compost for your garden - being rich in chicken poo it will be high in Nitrogen and fab for growing brassicas!
• Allowing your hens to free range when they are strong enough to do so will save on feed costs a little as they will find worms and slugs and eat some grass / greens as well.
• Be creative with boredom busting toys for them - you'll have all sorts of things in your house or garden that will cost you nothing.
• You can save money on their feed by adding vegetable peelings from your kitchen - we boil up carrot, potato peelings and cabbage etc with some of their pellets for a hot mash and they love it. They also like things like porridge and cooked pasta if you have any leftovers.
• All of the tonics and health products last for a very long time if you have a small flock of say 6 hens or so.

So it's not all bad financially once you get into the swing of it!

But BEST OF ALL is that you can't put a price on giving a factory farmed animal the chance to become its proper self and to have a wonderful second chance at life. The joy it will give you to see them blossom into real chickens and to chat away to you, follow you round the garden and get up to all sorts of hilarious capers is wonderful. They will cheer you up when you're down, capture your heart and amuse you for hours - and that's priceless.

Chantal xx

Bridget - one of our chief hens xx

@vegsoup4thesoul @SundayBrunchC4  Great blog on getting started keeping chickens!
— Get Chickens London (@ChickensLondon) August 18, 2013