A Family Guide To Keeping Chickens (20 page)

Country shows often include poultry exhibits or you could attend one of the many poultry shows, which are held at both local and national level. A large event will have a vast selection of chickens, as well as enthusiasts keen to talk about their favourite breed. The Poultry Club has details of shows
throughout the country – The National Poultry Show, held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, in November, is well worth a visit.

While shows tend to focus on pure-breeds, a visit to a large poultry sale will provide an opportunity to view all kinds of chickens. Don’t expect to see the best examples, as breeders often use markets to sell surplus stock – and it’s not a good idea to buy your first chickens from sales either (see
Chapter 7
).

Key Points

•
Chickens may be either pure-breeds or hybrids

•
Hybrids are productive, usually friendly and easily available

•
Productivity in hybrids declines after the first year or so

•
Rescuing ex-battery hens can be very satisfying, but they require extra care at first

•
Pure-breeds offer a wide choice of attractive chickens and cockerels are available

•
Many pure-breeds stop laying in winter but often lay for more years than hybrids

•
Features such as abundant feathering require extra attention

•
Hard-feathered breeds are the game birds, originally bred for fighting

•
Soft-feathered applies to all the other breeds

•
Light breeds are bred for laying rather than the table

•
Several heavy breeds are prolific layers and can also be kept for meat

•
Heavy breeds are generally placid – some tend to go broody

•
Bantams are either small versions of large chickens or ‘true bantams’ with no large equivalent

•
Find out about your chosen breed but remember that chickens don’t always follow the rules!

Do you know which chickens you want to buy yet? Try this quick quiz on
Chapter 4
.

Question One

Which of these statements is true?

(a) All chickens look the same

(b) Chickens only come in brown or white

(c) There is an enormous variety of chickens to choose from

Question Two

If you want eggs in winter, which type of chicken would you choose?

(a) Hybrid hens

(b) Pure-breed chickens

(c) Chickens don’t lay eggs in winter

Question Three

Do ex-battery hens make good pets?

(a) No, they are very unfriendly birds

(b) Yes, they quickly become tame

(c) Battery hens aren’t available to the public

Question Four

What are ‘wattles’?

(a) The red object on top of the chicken’s head

(b) The flesh dangling under the beak

(c) Extra feathers around the face

Question Five

Is a bantam:

(a) A small chicken?

(b) An extra-large chicken?

(c) A chicken with feathered feet?

Answers

One (c); Two (a); Three (b); Four (b); Five (a)

You should know a lot about the different types of chicken now – did you get all the answers right?

‘As rare as hens’ teeth’: Chickens don’t have teeth! This saying is used about something that is very unlikely to exist or impossible to find. For example: ‘I’ve been searching the shops all day but trousers that will fit me are as rare as hens’ teeth.’

Do you know which side of a chicken has the most feathers?

The outside, of course!

Why are chickens so well groomed?

Because they always have a comb!

Think about which types of chicken you would like to keep. Make a note of some suitable breeds or hybrids. Now try to find out more about them. Look on the internet or ask your parents to contact the breed clubs. Ask your friends which type of chicken they keep and try to visit a poultry show or sale.

You’ve selected an ideal home for your new chickens and have decided on the ideal chickens to live in it. Surely there’s nothing else to do but reach for your wallet?

You might just about manage without anything extra but having the right equipment will make life easier for you and better for the chickens.

There is a vast selection of chicken-related items available online or you can send for catalogues. Alternatively, agricultural stores usually carry a reasonable selection of poultry equipment.

These are the basics you will need.

Choosing a Poultry Feeder

A proper feeder avoids waste. Chickens are messy eaters and will happily leap into an open dish, scattering food and adding a couple of droppings in the process. Spilt food soon becomes stale (which can make chickens ill). It also attracts vermin, and if it gets wet will smell very unpleasant – worse than anything the chickens can produce!

There are various styles of feeder available – these are some of the most popular.