FAQ Category: FAQs

• Fox proof, dry but well ventilated house for the hens to sleep in.
• Large run or well fenced area/garden for them outside.
• Feeder and drinker.
• Shavings or bedding for the house.
• Layers pellets or mash.
• Grit and oyster shell. 

Ideally your chickens should always be checked twice a day to ensure they have feed and water and are healthy and not injured.  If you are going away overnight and have a fox-proof run they should be alright if left with a couple of feeders and drinkers.

If it will be longer than this, then you will have to arrange for someone to come in and check them daily. Whilst it is better to keep your hens in their own home, it is not always feasible and we offer a hen ‘boarding’ service.  You can bring your hens to us and we will look after them whilst you are away.

Vets are now becoming much more used to seeing chickens, check with your local vet if they are happy to see poultry.  As a first stop there are a huge amount of web forums to cater for the many new hen keepers (see my Links page) to help you with any problems your hens might have.  

Ultimately a hen is a living creature and no less likely to feel pain or fear than a cat or dog, and if they are in any sort of pain would need to see a vet.  By taking them on you are responsible for their health and well being, and before deciding to buy them, need to be aware that could include nursing them as well as vets bills.

They don’t need any routine vet trips (such as vaccination boosters).

As a general guide you will need to remove and replace the shavings at least once a week.  If you have more hens in a smaller house this will be more often but if you have a few hens in a large shed it would be less.

There should never be a build up of droppings or any smell in the house.  If you can smell ammonia then it is already at a dangerous level for your hens.

Every month the house will need totally emptying and disinfecting and checking/treating for mites.

In a domestic environment the chickens are vaccinated for life. You will need to worm them periodically roughly 3/4 times a year.

We sell our chickens from 17 weeks onwards. On average they will start to lay in the summer time from: 18 weeks to 21 weeks, and in the winter time from: 19 weeks to 23 weeks.