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Getting started with your own flock of hens It's easy to get started with a small backyard flock. You don't have to have a lot of chickens, in fact, you can have just one hen. But since they are sociable creatures and like to fluff up and huddle together in cold weather, it's nicer to have at least two or three. If the idea of a having a rooster keeps you from getting hens, don't worry. Hens don't need to have a rooster around to lay eggs. In fact, they appear quite content without a male in their midst, constantly trying to mount them. Most roosters deserve their bad reputations. They crow loudly, not just in the morning, but during all sunny hours. And they are often agressive. That said, some people like having roosters. They like that a rooster will warn the flock about hawks and foxes. They like their big, brassy personalities. And roosters are often very handsome birds. Just keep in mind that having a rooster is a choice, not a necessity. |
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 The more space the chickens have, the happier they'll be. The term "pecking order" definitely originated with hens. They peck at each other for all sorts of reasons, but mostly to keep the other girls away from their treasures, be it a glistening drop of rain or a juicy bug. Given enough space, these little spats are harmless, but when chickens get crowded they become ruthless and will even peck each other to death. How much space your hens need depends on their sizes and breeds, but generally, plan on a minimum of 3 square feet per hen. If it is snowy or icy, the hens will want to stay indoors and will be more crowded than usual. Keep them busy with cabbages hung on strings. |
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 Inside the hen house you'll need a water dispenser, which is an inexpensive item. found at any feed store. You'll also need a container for the chicken feed. We have a metal one that hangs from the ceiling. The girls also require roosts (they like to sleep off the ground) and nesting boxes, which can be plastic milk crates, or homemade wooden boxes, or metal ones bought from a poultry supplies dealer. |
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 Once you have the set-up, the next step is to get hens. Hatcheries sell eggs and chicks, which they send through the mail. See the Resources page for these companies. Some feedstores sell chicks in the spring. The problem with buying these young birds is that there's a chance you'll be getting a rooster with your hens. It is just about impossible to tell the difference until they get to be 12 weeks old. |
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| I like buying individual poulets (birds bigger than chicks but not yet laying.) You can find these at farms (check the bulletin board of your local feed store), or, better yet, go to a 4-H fair and buy a hen from a child. Poultry shows and agricultural fairs are also places to find hens for sale. For anywhere from $3 to $15 you can purchase a laying hen. |
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You'll need a hen house to give the hens shelter out of rain and wind, a place to lay eggs and a safe place to spend the night. It doesn't have to be elaborate or huge, although a fanciful hen house can be a highlight of your garden design. The books listed on my Resources page have plans for chicken houses and pens, as do some of the Web sites. During the daytime the chickens should have access to a dirt pen. (It might start out as grass, but they'll soon dig it up, which is fine - taking dust baths is a favorite chicken pastime.) We have had chickens killed by various predators, and so now have a fence that reaches 8 inches underground (to dissuade the digging carnivores) and 6 feet up. The whole run is covered by hawk netting. This not only prevents the raptors from carting off chickens, but it also keeps climbing predators, such as racoons, out.
Once the hens are home, settle them in. (Just as an aside, when adding a new hen to the flock, put her in the henhouse at night and when the hens wake up in the morning, they say, "this hen has been here all of the time." But if you put her in during daylight hours, they'll say, "new hen, new hen, peck her!") The hens need fresh clean water to drink and "laying hen pellets" to eat. They also enjoy people leftovers, weeds tossed over the fence from the garden and bugs picked off of your vegetables. Keep the hen house clean (we shovel it out every other week and compost the shavings and manure) and you're set. Enjoy!
