Keeping Hens in Back Yard or Garden

Keeping Hens in Back GardenThis video clip about keeping hens was made in my daughter’s back garden in Yorkshire. It’s not very big, roughly 60′ by 20′ so roughly 100 square metres given over to the dozen hens, half  a dozen ducks, half a dozen quail that she keeps along with the two rabbits and seven cats (Yes! It’s Jollity Farm)

Here we discuss the types of chickens you can get and where to get them from. You can get ex-battery or ex-barn hybrid hens from commercial producers for a pound or so. You can buy hybrids or pure breed hens from a breeder (see our poultry breeders list ) or pick up at an auction.

Auctions are really best left to the more experienced keeper – they’re very much buyer beware! Usually the best way to get poultry is from someone you know who keeps poultry or someone they recommend.

The ex-battery hens, amazingly considering their start in life, can become very tame but their best egg production days are over whereas the pure breeds tend to be a little tougher and give less eggs but over a longer lifespan.

You can also buy hatching eggs and incubate them yourself either with an incubator or by using the services of a broody hen. But do consider what will happen to the cockerels. .

The video illustrates the problem with keeping cockerels in a suburban or town garden perfectly. Blackie was in good voice! Eventually Blackie was relocated to a friend on a farm where he lived out his days shouting to the world.

Backyard Poultry Tips with John Harrison – Keeping Hens in Back Yard or Garden

Posted in Poultry Videos
One comment on “Keeping Hens in Back Yard or Garden
  1. Ann Horn says:

    Great video, can yo do one about hatching , then rearing chicks ? i worry about incubating etc doing things wrong ! have books but think a video showing stages of incubation and does and dont’s would be great on video thanks .

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