Hen Keeping FAQ
Are hens noisy?
No. They occasionally cackle and can cluck quietly when laying, and will squawk if startled, but they are not noisy. They are normally silent at night when dark. Roosters however are quite loud which can be an irritation.
Do I need a rooster to get eggs?
No. Hens will still lay eggs. These eggs will not be fertilized and will not hatch. So no rooster means no chicks, but yes, plenty of eggs.
How much time and care do hens need?
Hens will generally look after themselves. Ten minutes for daily feeding and egg collection plus a weekly coop clean out meets most needs.
Hens require less care than the average family dog, are full of character and will reward you with beautiful fresh eggs.
How many eggs does a hen lay?
A hen that lays one egg per day is a valuable creature. 300 eggs per year is a good target. Egg production is greatest in the first year of a hens life then slows.
Will my chickens fly away?
Chickens make very poor flyers, their wings are too small for their body weight. However, they may trespass into neighbouring property so ensure your land is securely fenced. If conditions and the environment are right, you should have no problems. The main flying feathers on one wing can be trimmed to further inhibit flying.
What should I feed my hens?
Chickens are omnivorous and will eat practically everything. The key is to achieve a balanced diet. Free ranging your flock lets your hens scratch for worms and feed on grass and slugs. Kitchen scraps are a useful food source. Until you become more expert, purchasing 'layers pellets' is recommended to offer the right blend of vitamins, minerals and proteins, carbohydrates and fat.
Hens do not over-eat, so if there is food left behind, you're giving too much, if none remains, you're giving too little.l
What bedding do hens need?
Hens sleep on roosting perches. Bedding is only used in nesting boxes. Straw, wood shavings or shredded paper in the nesting area adds comfort, protects eggs and encourages your hens natural urge to lay. Recycled shredded paper works well.
How much space do hens need?
We encourage free ranging. However, with constant cooping, Urban Chicken Coops provide adequate space for your hens. Free ranging can attract predators, so we advise releasing your hens under supervision.
To ensure adequate grazing and good hygiene within the wired run area, coops should be regularly moved. This also protects your ground from wear and ensures your entire garden receives nitrogen-rich fertilisation from droppings.
How do new hens get used to a coop?
Keep the hens inside the coop for at least two days. This will familiarise them with their new home and with each other. Once the pecking order has been established and your hens have settled into their new home, they will return there every night at dusk.
How can I tell if my hens are healthy?
Healthy hens should have a firm red comb without black spots (an indication of poor circulation) this is bright red for laying hens, dry nostrils without discharge, bright beady eyes without swelling or discharge, a full set of shiny feathers, plump but lean un-flabby weight and a perky active and alert manner. Foot scales should be firm, smooth and not lifting, under-tail feathers should be clean with a white, moist anal beak (the cloaca).
Missing feathers can indicate other hens pecking, mineral deficiency, de-pluming mites, feather lice or stress e.g. due to overcrowding. Allowing free range helps reduce feather picking as do products such as Stockholm Tar. Note that hens moult their feathers yearly in late summer / autumn and should be in top condition prior to the moult e.g. wormed. It is also important to always keep coops, feeders, waterers, etc clean and disinfected. If your hens appear unhealthy seek professional help.
Diseases that can affect your flock include:
Avian Influenza - severe fever, death.
Mareks disease - wasting, paralysis.
Newcastle disease - colds, paralysis.
Duck Plague - diarrhoea, death.
Fowl Cholera - pneumonia, death.
Infectious Laryngotracheitis - choking, death.
Mycoplasmosis - low egg production, poor growth.
Avian Tuberculosis - wasting, death.
Infectious Bursal - lowered resistance to disease.
Coccidiosis - diarrhoea, death.
How long do hens live?
This depends on breed and condition. For a healthy happy chicken, life span ranges from five to ten years. The world's oldest chicken, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, died of heart failure when she was sixteen.
Why is sunlight important?
Hens synthesize vitamin D from sunlight to generate egg shell. Studies have shown that 14 hours of sunlight optimises this.
Also, a hens biological clock is based on sunlight e.g. at dusk they automatically return to roost.
Why are there white and brown eggs?
The main difference is the breed of hen. Nutritionally, all eggs are similar.
If you want a rainbow selection for your basket -
Blue Eggs - Araucanas
Green-Blue Eggs - Ameraucanas
Red-Brown Eggs - Barnvelders
Cream Eggs - Sussexes
Pink-Brown Eggs - Salmon Faverolles
Chocolate Brown Eggs - Cuckoo Marans
White Eggs - White Leghorns
Can I leave my hens for a few days?
As with any other pets, hens do require commitment. However, it is possible to leave them for two or three days if they have a good supply of food and fresh clean water. Reservoir waterers and feeders are available from most good pet shops and hens do not over eat - three days supply will last three days. Hens eat about 100g of layers pellets per day.
What about their droppings?
Our coops come with a removable slatted floor for hygiene and easy cleaning, and have carrying handles for easy portability. Simply lift out the floor and scrape the droppings onto your compost heap and move your coop to fresh grass every few weeks. Hens poop mostly at night when sleeping. Hen droppings are very high in nitrogen and make excellent compost.
Do I need to put them back into the coop at night?
Hens will naturally return to roost at night, returning to the coop at dusk. All you need to do is to lock them in, and release them again in the morning.
What is moulting?
Once a year hens moult, losing and replacing their feathes. This takes about six weeks and normally happens towards the end of summer. Egg laying may be affected during this period, but it is a natural event that will pass.
What about foxes?
There is no 100% guarantee against foxes, except to keep your hens locked safely in their coop at night and not to let them free range unattended. Foxes detest people, so generally speaking if your hens are safely cooped at night, you should have no problems.
Our coops offer strong predator protection with a completely sealed accommodation unit once all hatches are locked and wire runs with heavy wire mesh, not chicken wire.
