With another housing order sadly in place, poultry keepers across the country have found themselves in another “flockdown”. As we know, the disease is spread via bird-to-bird contact, contaminated feeders, water bottles/bowls, vehicles, clothing and footwear, and also through contaminated bodily fluids and faeces.

However, with robust management measures, you can decrease the threat to your flock. Here are our top tips for getting through Avian Flu:

Home sweet home:

Poultry should be kept under cover to prevent the risk of contamination from wild birds. Sheds, stables, greenhouses and polytunnels are all ideal places to move your poultry to, if you have access to these kinds of buildings.

If you’re making improvements to your current set up, tarpaulin, corrugated plastic sheeting, or small gauge netting will prevent the wild birds and their droppings from getting into your housing.

Increase your biosecurity measures:

As we’ve said above, physical barriers to prevent wild birds from getting into or near your housing is an effective measure against the virus. As well as a cover above your housing we’d recommend covering the sides and consider installing netting or fencing around the housing to prevent people or other animals treading contaminated materials near to your house.

Covered foot-dip outside of the entrances can easily be made with buckets or trays filled with DEFRA-approved disinfectants. Also consider wearing PPE when inside the house or having dedicated clothing and footwear which can be stored in box, easily disinfected, and only worn when in contact with the poultry.

Good general husbandry is also key. Keep bedding and feed clean and stored away from anywhere that can be accessed by pests or wild birds. Add cleaning feeders and drinking stations to your to do list.  Also disinfect any paths and areas of hardstanding within the run regularly.

Finally, check your housing and fencing on a regular basis to spot any holes where your flock might escape or wild birds get in.

Fight the boredom:

If your flock now can’t access their favourite bathing places, replace this using a litter tray, hard plastic paddling pool, or trough to create a dust bath and keep them healthy and happy.

Hang up vegetables such as corn on the cob, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli for your hens to peck at. The reduced section of your local supermarket is a great way to stock up on healthy treats.

For waterfowl, consider shredding foods such as cabbage or frozen peas that will float in water so they can spend time “hunting” for their treats.

If you’re looking for higher fat treats, for example for chickens having a late moult or to help them prepare for winter, pecking blocks and other shop bought treats are ideal when given sparingly.

Give them new and interesting places to perch during the day. For example, branches which have been disinfected, straw bales, or even a chicken swing provide entertainment and let them view their surroundings from a new angle.

Toys designed for other animals, such as dogs, cats, and parrots, can also provide entertainment. Just ensure that there aren’t any moving or loose parts that could be removed and swallowed before purchasing. Pet safe mirrors appear to be popular with poultry.

Variety is the spice of life, so regularly changing the enrichment activities and treats on offer will help to keep your poultry entertained and occupied until they can safely free range again.

If your flock is used to free ranging, being contained might come as a shock to them. However, there are plenty of ways you can keep them entertained, and with winter coming, they might appreciate the extra shelter.

If you’re looking to improve your housing, we offer a range of runs and enclosures (with or without onduline roofing) which will last you through Avian Flu season and for many years to come. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to discuss your specific requirements: 01264 356753 or jimvysearks@aol.com.

Pets make a great addition to family life, and in recent years, people have been moving away from the traditional companions such as dogs, cats, and goldfish, to embrace animals usually found on a farmyard.

The popularity of poultry keeping comes as no surprise to us. After all, they’re fantastic company, and who wouldn’t want fresh eggs for breakfast everyday?

If you’re considering welcoming some feathered friends to your outdoor space, here are some reasons we think you’ll be making an egg-cellent choice:

Eggs, eggs, and more eggs

The most obvious benefit of keeping chickens is the eggs. As part of a healthy diet, eggs contribute to strong muscles, brain health, energy production, and a healthy immune system.

Eggs are easy to turn into quick and delicious meals, so are the ideal ingredient to get budding chefs into the kitchen.

Finally, let’s not forget that eggs are also a key component of cake…

Children learn responsibility and empathy

Having animals at home helps to teach children fantastic life skills such as taking responsibility and having empathy for others.

Smaller children can fill feed bowls, collect eggs, and check that the water is clean. Older children can really get stuck in with hands-on chicken care by cleaning out the hen house and shutting the hens up at night before they get ready for bed themselves.

Teaching children how to handle chickens safely builds their understanding of empathy and encourages discussions about emotions and behaviour. Chickens may not speak but their body language and vocalisations ensure they make themselves understood!

There are brilliant breeds to choose from

There are so many breeds of chicken that you’re sure to find one that appeals to your family.

Silkies, Buff Orpingtons, Polish, Wyandottes, and Warrens are all breeds which are popular to keep as family pets.

Chickens also lay a variety of different coloured eggs. If you’d like something more unusual than the eggs you find in the supermarket, consider a breed such as the Araucana, who lay blue eggs, or the Black Copper Maran, who lay chocolate brown eggs.

Chickens offer many opportunities for education

As well as the practical and emotional skills children can learn from chicken keeping, you can also incorporate more academic subjects into chicken care.

Children can develop their mathematical ability by counting eggs and chickens or working out how many days a bag of food will last.

Allowing your children to name the chickens will spark their imagination and they can learn to spell the names they’ve given their new pets.

Chickens are the ideal way to spark conversation about where our food comes from, animal welfare, and the environment.

Pets are good for mental health

Studies have shown that when we stroke or cuddle a pet our bodies release the “feel good” hormone Oxytocin.

With time and patience chickens can become very friendly and will come running when they hear their names called (or they know you have treats!)

Many families who keep chickens report that their poultry are firm favourites and often find their child cuddling their preferred hen and sharing tales of their day.

In the colder months your hens can spend more time in their run and less time free ranging in your garden, field, or orchard. This can lead to boredom and bad behaviour as chickens need something to occupy their time…

In many ways chickens can be like small children – they like shiny objects, they’re easily distracted, and they can cause mass destruction if they’re not kept entertained.

Luckily keeping your hens occupied doesn’t have to be difficult and unlike small children they won’t be clamouring for the latest toy or games console. In fact, a head of cauliflower could be the best present you could ever give them!

If you’re new to the world of chicken boredom busters or you’re looking for more inspiration here are our top tips for keeping your flock amused:

Fun and healthy!

Any treats that give your poultry something to do and ensure they get all their vitamins and minerals have to be a good thing, right?

Hanging a cabbage or cauliflower from the roof of their enclosure will keep them occupied for hours playing “piñata” and then they can forage for fallen bits of veg when they’re done.

You can also purchase specifically made “treat balls” which are delicious and high in energy to keep hens healthy all year round.

Mirror mirror!

Now we’re not saying that chickens are vain but they do like to check out their reflection from time to time. Lightweight, shatterproof, and plastic mirrors are an inexpensive purchase that can be found in many bargain homeware shops.

Fix the mirror to your run using cable ties and watch your hens pamper and preen!

Another level

Chickens love to have a “bird’s eye view” of the world so providing them with outside perches, swings, or stumps to stand on will give them a better look at their surroundings.

Tree stumps, branches, old ladders, and broom handles can all be used to give your hens a multi-level environment.

For something fancy and ready to go you can purchase a chicken swing from the British Hen Welfare Trust shop.

Piles of leaves

This is a great tip for the autumn months when you’ll have an abundance of fallen leaves in your garden. For reasons known only to themselves chickens hate piles so try putting a pile of leaves in their enclosure and see how quickly they start to destroy it!

Something new

Chickens love anything new that they can investigate – wooden crates, a plastic rake, an old broom head, or even a tub of mud – will be greatly appreciated by your flock.

As long as the item can’t injure or damage your hens in any way go ahead and let them check it out.

Move things around

If you can easily move your chicken house then try putting it in a new part of the garden. Not only will this give a bit of your garden a rest but it will also allow your hens to explore a new environment.

If you’ve got a permanent poultry enclosure then why not move your flock’s feeder and other accessories to new places? Your chickens will have fun looking for things that have moved and moving things might even reveal worms, bugs, and other edible goodies!

When people first start keeping chickens they usually choose breeds that they can easily source and are fairly cheap to buy. Hybrid breeds are a popular choice and often people will pick the same breed as the person who inspired them to keep chickens in the first place has.

However, as any poultry keeper will tell you, chicken keeping is an addictive hobby and it probably won’t be long before you’re looking to add to your flock!

Your average breed of chicken will lay brown eggs, ranging from a pale tan right through to a dark brown. But there are many other colours, in fact depending on the breeds you keep you could have a whole rainbow of eggs.

So, here are the best breeds of chicken if you want coloured eggs:

Ameraucana – blue eggs

You can now get the brilliant blue eggs that this bird lays in your local Tesco, but where’s the fun in that?

The Ameraucana is one of only three breeds that lay blue eggs (Cream Legbar and Araucana are the others) but blue egg laying chickens are reasonably popular so you shouldn’t have trouble finding them.

The breed was first developed in the 1970s in America and is an attractive breed with a “beard”. They’ll lay around 250 eggs per year so you’ll never run out of blue eggs!

Andalusian – white eggs

If you’re looking for pearly white eggs then the striking looking Andalusian is the breed for you.

Originating from Spain this breed is calm and active, so they prefer to free range and are good foragers.

They’ll lay around 160 eggs per year and usually continue to lay through the winter and blue-bred White hens are said to lay the biggest eggs.

Olive Egger – green eggs

This is more of a variety of chicken than a breed that were developed when birds containing the “blue egg gene” were crossed with a “brown egg gene” bird.

Olive Eggers produce green eggs that can range from having more of a blue tinge to more of a brown tinge as a result of the crossed colours. The birds themselves are bearded and don’t look dissimilar to the Araucana, Ameraucana, and Easter Egger which has led to some confusion among even the most expert chicken keepers.

Black Copper Maran – chocolate brown eggs

For a truly dark brown egg the Black Copper Maran is an ideal choice.

The breed is active, likes to forage, and prefers to free range or have a larger enclosure. They are also good in colder climates and a hardy breed so they’re perfect if you’re new to keeping chickens.

Their chocolate brown eggs are so popular that some unscrupulous breeders will sell birds called “Black Copper Marans” but if they don’t produce dark brown eggs they aren’t from a pure strain of the breed.

Plymouth Rock – pink eggs

If you want a hen that will lay you eggs with a pinky tinge then the Plymouth Rock is a great bird.

They’re one of the oldest and most popular breeds of chicken so you shouldn’t find it hard to purchase a few. They come in a variety of colours and should continue to lay throughout the winter, although produce will slow down.

The benefits of keeping chickens are widely known, but these benefits can be even more miraculous when you take up the hobby later in life.

Here are some of the reasons that chickens make brilliant pets to keep when you reach retirement age:

Delicious, nutritious eggs

“Free”, fresh, protein rich eggs are the most obvious reason to keep chickens at home and research has shown that increased protein consumption can aid things such as memory function as our minds and bodies get older.

Hens are great gardeners

If you’ve found yourself spending more time in the garden then you’ll be pleased to hear that your hens will be only too happy to help your outdoor space flourish.

They’re a fantastic source of fertiliser, they’ll keep the garden free of pests and weeds, and they enjoy nothing more than scratching around in soil so they’ll aerate and loosen beds ready for planting.

Just remember to use netting to fence off anywhere that doesn’t need their “help”!

Chickens are social creatures

Retirement can mean longer periods spent alone at home which can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. As chicken keepers will tell you, you’ll always have companionship and entertainment when you have hens.

The healing powers of hens have been well documented, not least with the “HenPower” project, which has seen thousands of “hensioners” across the UK take up chicken keeping in their own homes and residential homes.

Chicken keeping is easier than you think

Food, water, and a few minutes of your time every day is all it takes for happy hens. Unlike a dog or cat, a chicken is happy to be left to its own devices and of course, you don’t need to walk them!

Automatic doors and wheels can be added to chicken houses to make them secure and easy to move. Grandchildren are usually only too happy to help with tasks such as cleaning, giving an interest to share with the younger generation. 

We all love a treat from time to time and your chickens are no exception to this rule. Occasional treats are a great way to bond with your birds and they can be useful if you’re trying to help them beat the heat this summer.

As a general rule you shouldn’t give chickens treats when it’s hot as digestion promotes increased internal body temperature. However, frozen and cooling foods can be particularly welcome when the weather hots up.

Here’s a quick list of frozen treats that will help them keep cool:

• Frozen mint ice cubes – it’s long been known that mint has cooling properties both for humans and animals. Freezing chopped up mint leaves in an ice cube tray and giving them to your hens will give them something to do and help them cool down. You can also add extras such as peas and diced strawberry to the ice cubes for an additional treat.
• Frozen berries – try throwing a handful of frozen berries into a bucket of cool water and watch your hens go mad for them!
• Frozen fruit smoothie – if a frozen fruit smoothie sounds delicious to you then it probably will to your hens as well. Including a bit of natural yoghurt can also help your hens’ digestion.
• Frozen watermelon – you can cube it, slice it, or cut it into quarters, then put it in the freeze until frozen and give to your flock as a fruity frozen snack.

Remember, treats alone won’t keep your hens cool so you’ll need to take other measures to ensure your hens are happy and healthy in the heat. 

• Provide as much clean, fresh water as you possibly can, especially in shady spots where your hens will hide in the hottest part of the day.
• Increase ventilation in the coop by opening all doors and windows. You may also want to leave the chicken house windows open overnight if it’s safe to do so.
• Create some shade using tarpaulin, patio umbrellas, wind breaks, and ornamental plants in pots.
• Keep bedding in the chicken house to minimum – save the deep littering for the winter!
• Give your hens a shallow paddling pool so they can cool their feet and avoid the hot earth.
• Make sure your chickens have a shaded area to dust bathe in. Not only do they do this to keep clean, but it also helps them to keep cool.

Have you got any tips for helping hens to stay cool in the summer? We’d love to hear from you if you do!

Chickens usually adapt well to varying temperatures and if you live in the UK you won’t often find yourself having to deal with extreme weather conditions. Though, it’s still worth having a few tricks up your sleeve for when the summer sun does come out, no matter how rarely that may be!

For experienced chicken keepers the sight of their hens sunbathing is a happy one. After all, who doesn’t like to top up their tan! However, this can be a surprise to novice chicken keepers, and as much as chickens love to sunbathe, sometimes the heat can get a little much.

Liquid refreshment

Dehydration is a big cause of death in chickens and unfortunately sometimes a chicken is too far gone to be saved. Keep your eyes peeled for any signs of dehydration and know what to do if one of your flock does become ill.

Signs of dehydration include:

• Lethargy
• Gasping/panting with their beaks open
• No interest in food
• No reaction to stimuli

If you do find a dehydrated hen the best course of action is to move the bird to a cool, dark, quiet place and provide water with electrolytes. You may need to help the bird drink every 10-15 minutes over the next few hours.

Once the bird is drinking by itself you can give it watered down food. You’ll need to keep in for the next 24 hours and provide water and wet food at all times.

To try and make sure your hens stay happy and healthy, here are our top tips to help keep your flock feeling fresh when the weather gets warm:

Chickens love cold drinks too

If you find yourself reaching for an icy cold drink in the summer then why not make one for your hens?

Use the cooling blocks you can get for picnic hampers or freeze water in a small plastic container, then place in a bowl of drinking water. The blocks will keep the water cool all day and provide a refreshing drink for your birds.

Make some shade

Chickens need to be able to get out of the sun to cool themselves down so make sure there are plenty of shady spaces available. You can create shady spots using specially designed shades, tarpaulin, old patio umbrellas, or even plastic table cloths.

Don’t feed “heavy” foods

Just like we don’t like to eat big meals when it’s hot chickens don’t either. Foods such as corn take longer to digest, therefore creating a higher body temperature and making your hens hot.

Swap to pellets and try giving treats such as frozen or refrigerated strawberries and watermelon.

Give them a “bath”

In this case we don’t mean a water bath, we mean a dust bath. Dusting bathing is essential for chickens to stay healthy, especially in hot weather. If your chickens aren’t able to create a dust bath themselves by digging holes in the garden then provide them with a shallow tray or box containing sand.

Add electrolytes to water to combat dehydration

You can buy electrolytes for chickens from most country stores or online chicken supply shops. You would usually use them if you had chicks but in hot weather chickens of all ages can benefit from electrolytes.

Keep their coop cool

All chicken houses should have good ventilation but if possible you should increase this during the summer. Open all of the doors, vents, and windows during the day and if safe to do so, consider leaving vents and windows open at night.

You can also direct the sunlight away from the chicken house by placing a sheet of reflective foil on the house roof in the mornings. You could use the screens usually seen on car dashboards for the same effect.

Let them chill out

Interacting with your chickens will make them excited and run around more so keep interaction to a minimum. If you do need to move them or catch them try to do this first thing in the morning or before they go to bed when it’s cooler.

Chickens can be messy creatures, but they don’t have to damage your garden – this week we’ll be discussing how you can protect your garden and keep your chickens happy.

Most poultry keepers accept that if they want to have chickens then they’re going to have to sacrifice a perfect garden. However, poultry and plants can live harmoniously together – you just have to know how to do it!

Not every method will work for every chicken, some are definitely more determined than others to eat things they shouldn’t!  Chicken proofing your garden is more trial and error than a hard and fast method that suits everyone.

Here’s our quick guide on how to chicken proof your garden so you can keep your plants beautiful and your poultry happy:

Think about the space you have

The most common reason for chickens ruining a garden is having too many chickens in not enough space. Realistically small gardens can accommodate three to five chickens before a trashed garden becomes inevitable. Larger outdoor spaces could fit between five and eight chickens and still maintain a respectable looking garden.

Think carefully about the size of your garden, the number of chickens you want, and whether you intend to let them free range or keep them in a purpose built run before you bring your hens home.

Bulk buy the chicken wire

Even if your chickens have enough space they might still take the occasional nibble of your prize plants. Invest in some chicken wire and create a low wire fence to keep peckish hens away from your greenery.

If chicken wire isn’t strong enough for your persistent hens then try hardware cloth which has smaller holes and can be used as ground covers to protect seedlings or low growing plants.

Use rocks for protection

A hungry hen will easily push or scratch small stones out of the way to get at a tasty looking plant, so using large rocks or bricks around the base of the plant will make them harder to reach.

You might find this method especially useful if you have recently planted pots or containers.

Give them plants of their very own

Robust shrubs and bushes will give your chickens somewhere to scratch around and hide, drawing them away from more delicate plants. The exact type of bush you choose is up to you but having an evergreen in your garden will give hens somewhere to go all year around.

Move their house regularly

If you have a moveable house then rotate it around your garden regularly. This will give damaged areas of your garden a chance to recover and provide your hens with an interesting new view every few weeks.

Have a purpose built run/enclosure

If your hens aren’t going to free range, or you only want to let them out at certain times, invest in a high quality purpose built run or enclosure. They’ll have enough to room scratch around, bathe, and snack on bugs and the rest of your garden will be protected.