Chicken keeping has had huge media hype recently with famous chef’s appearing on TV programmes and also writing articles in newspapers.  It seems that more and more people are now choosing to keep their own hens, which is great.  But before rushing out and purchasing some chickens we at ideas-4-pets advise you to read up on hen-keeping carefully.  Read books, articles, look on websites about chicken welfare, etc. because just as keeping a dog, cat or rabbit needs careful thought, so does chicken-keeping.

 Here are just a few quick tips to consider:

• Your chickens should always have easy access to cool, clean, fresh water and be fed an appropriate diet that is nutritional and plentiful.
• Ensure that you purchase a good quality chicken coop that offers your hens a clean, tidy environment.
• Purchase a chicken coop that offers as much space as you can afford - hens love to flap their wings, so allow for this.
• A guideline is approx. 1sq ft for small birds, 1.5sq ft for medium birds and 2 sq ft for larger breeds
• A chicken coop should protect your birds from the cold damp weather in winter and also offer shade from the sun in the summer months.
• Make sure that the chicken coop and the chicken run are predator proof as foxes are adept at getting into coops and killing the chickens. 
• Make sure that the bedding material you use is absorbant - straw or wood shavings are a good choice.
• Make sure that the hen house has adequate ventilation but that it remains free from any draughts.
• Birds like to roost on their perches to sleep and the perches should be about 3-5cm diameter, dependant upon the size of the bird.
• A coop with a nesting box is a good idea as hens like to lay in the dark.
• Make sure that the run is large enough for the amount of chickens you are going to keep - a guideline is approx. 4 sq ft per chicken.  
• Chickens love to dig and to dust themselves down so allow for this. The person you purchase your chickens from should be able to help you to make a good decision on the size of the coop and run.
• Monitor your chickens daily to make sure that they remain healthy, happy and free from pain, disease or injury.
• If you are worried about any of your chickens then contact your local vet sooner rather than later.
• Follow the avian flu guidelines set down by DEFRA