Pecks in the city

Chickens have the makings of a perfect pet. They’re fuss-free, affectionate and eat your table scraps, while their poo can go straight on the compost heap and their scratching is perfect for turning over the vege garden before you plant the new season’s crop.

They also pay for themselves over time with fresh eggs that you know came from happy healthy hens. It makes Sunday brunch that much yummier.

So what do you need to know about raising hens?

How much space will I need?

It’s up to you whether you keep chickens in an enclosed run or let them range free during the day, but either way, they need room to scratch and fossick, as well as a place to sleep at night and lay their eggs.

If you’re letting your chickens roam around the property or within a permanent enclosure then a good rule of thumb is to allow 3m2 per bird. If you’re putting them in a run, allow about 1m2 per bird

Check your council’s regulations on keeping chickens – every area is different, and the local rules will affect where your birds lives and how much space you need. For example, Auckland City Council specifies that you must not have more than six chickens or a rooster without a permit and the coop or run must be at least 10m from the house and no less than 3m from the boundary. Wellington on the other hand is far less prescriptive, restricting its guidelines to animal welfare concerns – access to food, clean water and space for exercise – and not annoying the neighbours.

Rules aside, chickens are good jumpers and like to roam so if you don’t have a fence that’s at least 2m high it might pay to check that your neighbours are okay with the occasional chicken on their property. And if you have a prize-winning vege or flower garden you’ll want to keep the chickens out, as they’ll scratch it up in their search for tasty morsels.

What type of bird should I bring home?

This relies a lot on why you’re getting the chickens in the first place. There are more than 400 breeds of chicken and each has its own characteristics.

Your first decision is whether to keep bantams or standard chickens – many common breeds have both but some breeds are only available as bantams. Bantams are smaller, do less damage to plants and make great pets but they lay less frequently and their eggs are smaller.

Hybrid breeds such as hyline browns or shaver browns are the most prolific layers – they produce most of the eggs sold in supermarkets and you can expect about 300 eggs a year – but they also have a short laying life of around two years.

Heritage breeds are popular with city dwellers because they are seen as dual purpose – they’re attractive and good layers too – and will lay into their old age. Breeds such as New Hampshire reds and white leghorns will produce between 150 and 200 eggs a year from spring until autumn when nature dictates that their bodies rest ahead of a new season the following spring.

Healthy, happy chickens live anywhere between five and 15 years and start laying when they are five or six months old, depending on the breed. If you can wait a little while for eggs, the ideal age to buy your first chickens is when they are 12-16 weeks old when they’re more open to being handled, turning them into more of a pet. You can also buy them as a teenager just as they’re ready to start laying – look for 'point of lay' pullets.

Hylines and shaver browns at point of lay start at $18 each, while heritage breeds start at about $20 each and continue up the price scale beyond $50. You can buy them from battery farms or local breeders – a quick internet search will point you to your nearest one – or you can browse the farming/poultry section on Trade Me.

Where will my chickens live?

Once you’ve decided to get chickens you’ll need to organise a coop for nesting and, if you’ve decided not to free-range, a run for exercise.

Mobile coops are best for a small number of hens and a larger section while a fixed coop is better if you don’t have a lot of room. Check what your council has to say before deciding.

There are plenty of companies providing ready-made or kit-set coops of varying sizes and complexity for anywhere from $460 for a small mobile coop that houses up to six hens, right up to a $1000-plus chicken manor – it all depends on how big and fancy you want to make it. Trade Me can be a cheaper way to do it, with coop prices around $250 if you have time to wait for the right auction.

You can also build your own. You’ll need to allow 60cm2 per adult bird and provide at least one nesting box for every three to five hens. Coops need good ventilation to ensure there is no build-up of damp or ammonia; cold, humid conditions can create health problems for birds.

You’ll need basic wood, roofing felt, chicken wire and insulation materials, all of which can bought at your local hardware store. A small coop for about two chickens shouldn’t be more than $100, while a larger one for several hens will cost around $200. There are a lot of websites out there offering step-by-step instructions if you’re not sure how to create a plan yourself.

What do I feed my chickens?

Chickens are omnivorous and far from fussy eaters, but in order to make sure they get a balanced diet that encourages good egg production you will need to feed them commercial food alongside any table scraps you give them.

An adult chicken eats around 115g a day, less if it’s getting table scraps as well, and a 25kg bag of feed will cost you between $28 and $35 from a breeder, your local pet store or specialised animal feed suppliers.

Chickens eat when they are hungry so it’s best to buy a feeder rather than feed them by hand. A simple plastic feeder – basically a container upside down on a plastic saucer – will cost about $15 on Trade Me or from the local pet store and will help stop the chickens from wasting the food as they scratch around.

If you’ve got the cash, investing around $200 in a step-activated ground feeder will pay for itself in the long run. Depending on the size they can hold around 9kg of feed and only open when the chicken steps on the treadplate at the front. It ensures you’re not also feeding the neighbourhood population of sparrows (or rodents) and it’s great for those times when you’re away for a few days.

Chickens also need constant access to clean water and will refuse dirty water. They don’t tend to travel far to get it, so it’s important to place it in the areas they go to most often.

When feeding chickens table scraps it’s best to avoid avocado skins, tea leaves or coffee grounds, garlic and onion (unless you want your eggs to taste like them), citrus fruit or peel, and bones.

Are chickens okay around kids and pets?

Chickens are great for the whole family, especially if you’ve got them young enough that they get used to being around you. Kids tend to love collecting eggs every morning and older children will often help with feeding them and replacing their water.

Cats are not as dangerous to your chickens as you may think – YouTube is full of videos showing chickens bullying cats that dare to attack. Obviously, the smaller and younger the chickens are, the more at risk they are from predators but when fully grown they are pretty good at defending themselves.

Dogs are a different story, and will kill or injure chickens – sometimes just from being playful.

Urban chicken-owner Megan says she thought her dog Oscar was getting along fine with her chickens, until one day when she left them in the yard together. “All he saw were these great big fluffy things racing around and he wanted to play with them. I lost one that day and brought the other one home from the vet with antibiotics.” She still lets the chickens out to range free but they’re now in a separate area to the dog.

What does it cost?

A realistic economic breakdown of raising chickens.

What do you get?

If you have three chooks laying an egg a day, you’re paying about 15c per egg.

The best breeds for urban living

These breeds are relatively quiet and docile but make great gardeners and still produce good quantities of eggs. They are long lived, so are good if kept as pets.

Bad boys

• Keeping roosters is prohibited by many councils as their crowing can be a nuisance.
• Even where allowed, owning the local alarm clock could make you unpopular.
• Hens don’t need a rooster to lay.
• But if you have one the eggs won’t look or taste any different if eaten fresh.
• Having a rooster is no guarantee of hatching chicks: you still need a ‘broody’ hen, one that sits on the eggs.

Sharing is easy

Rowan Yeoman and his family started their suburban flock six months ago with three chickens and a coop they inherited from neighbours who were moving out. Since then they’ve added another three younger chickens and built a second coop, and they now share all six with another set of neighbours.

Sharing the chickens is working really well for us,” Rowan says. “We all get the benefits but share the work. It’s fun. You kind of feel like you’re living the ‘good life’ and it brings us closer to the neighbours.”

The three older chickens stopped laying within a month after the family inherited them, but the younger three lay an egg a day on average, giving the Yeoman family three eggs every two days. “We occasionally buy free-range eggs for baking and cooking. We have them more for the quality of life than economics.”

Adopt a rescued hen

Shawn Bishop and husband Michael Dixon run the Matakana Animal Sanctuary from their property near the North Island town. As well as rescuing injured native birds and abused animals, the couple are kept busy rehabilitating chickens from battery farms.

Caged hens are kept in appalling conditions in New Zealand and when the chickens go into their seasonal pause in the laying cycle they are typically killed to save money on feed and shelter – which is where the Sanctuary and others like them step in.

When Shawn and Michael receive the hens they are pecked raw, with burnt skin from being defecated on by birds above them and are terrified of sunlight and space, having never been outside. By the time they’re ready for adoption the hens’ feathers are beginning to regrow, they’ve learned to walk properly and have discovered the joys of outdoor life.

The Sanctuary has rehab centres in Matakana, Albany and Hamilton, and regularly sends hens to new homes in return for a donation. The pair also have plans to expand into Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch, where there’s a big demand for rescued birds, and are always keen to hear from those with the space and time to care for just-rescued hens.

Meanwhile, Heather Lowrie of Backyard Chooks offers a similar service – with a twist. Her chickens come from free-range farms where they too are destined for slaughter at their first pause in the laying cycle. Needing less rehabilitation, her chooks are offered on a try-before-you-buy basis, complete with ready-made coop and run. If you’re unsure if chickens are for you (or want time to convince a sceptical family member), you can take delivery of two chickens with all the feed and shelter they need for $425. Customers have six weeks to stay the course or chicken out – in which case you return the hens and get $300 back.

Matakana Animal Sanctuary
www.animalsanctuary.co.nz or email [email protected]

Backyard Chooks
www.backyardchooks.co.nz or phone 021 599 929

Chicken tips for beginners?

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