Keeping our own chickens

Important news from my Suffolk HQ – yes, we’re moving ahead with our plans to keep our own chickens. I’ve already started stocking some poultry coops and some rather stylish chicken houses through My Greener Home and we know just where to find our new feathered friends – down at the British Hen Welfare Trust.

The BHWT does a super job of rehousing chickens (just shy of 200,000 so far). It is a charity so any donations to them would be gratefully received. Please do consider keeping your own poultry. Chickens make wonderful family pets and with a little research, are straight forward to care for properly.

Having been brought up around home-raised chickens, I know we’re going to able to meet the challenge. Its the thought of waking up to delicious free range eggs and our happy chickens clucking about…The Compassion in World Farming Campaign reported by April 2010 a fantastic 53% of all eggs bought in the UK were from hens who aren’t living in the battery farming cages that the remainder of their less lucky cousins are cooped up in. So the prospect of great tasting breakfast eggs and providing a caring lifestyle for a ‘chicken in need’ is too just too much to resist.

Another little known fact is chickens are in fact, keen and excellent gardeners – providing they’re given a little, shall we say, guidance? You get a free supply of organic compost, you get many garden pests gobbled up, and if you make sure your chicken coops and runs are secure, your garden shouldn't get mauled.

One challenge we do need some help with is the all-important question of names. Our chickens should be released into their new haven with a really decent name to give them a good start in life. If you know a good solid name for a chicken, do let me know using the comments box.

Enjoy the warm weather....
Edwin