With time spent at home in the garden and worries about food supplies, thoughts are turning to maybe keeping a few hens in the garden. I’m the world’s most enthusiastic chicken evangelist and have probably encouraged thousands to do just that, but I worry that maybe this is poultry panic buying. The fact that hens are in short supply has stimulated demand: breeders fearing show cancellations have not bred as many as usual, hybrids mostly come in as day olds from France and Holland and of course both have to be 6 months old before they lay an egg.
Incubator sales have rocketed and ebay hatching eggs are currently winging their way into homes where families haven’t done their hen homework, and these pets may end their days unhappily. We all love the idea of a flock clucking their way round the garden, but if you intend to let them roam, they must be safe from dogs and foxes, and you must be prepared for their fossicking to take its toll on your plants. If they’re used to roaming, they’ll be miserable if you then decide to keep them in their run. And the last thing we want at the moment is the sight of their sad little faces peering out at us. I know I’m preaching to the converted here, and that you, dear reader would not fall into this category.
A few tips that might help anyone toying with the idea of a few hens to lighten the lockdown boredom:
*Choose your breed carefully: any hen (especially hybrids) that lay for Britain will eat for Britain, and if what’s on offer is your garden, it will be eaten down to the last blade of grass.
*Although pure breeds don’t lay an egg a day like hybrids, they live longer, and have a longer and more natural productive life.
*If you have a small garden, two or three hens will be perfect, never keep just one. *Consider bantams: they eat less, do less damage in the garden and still lay eggs, just smaller ones.
*You don’t need a cockerel for your hens to produce eggs. Remember, if you are hatching eggs, you will get cockerels.
*Urban foxes are less worried about human presence and everywhere, so a foxproof run will have to be constructed when you go back to work.
I’ll write about how to garden in spite of hens soon. In the meantime, I thank heavens everyday for my garden and hens. If anyone needs help or advice with their flock, get in touch, I’m happy to help.