choosing a chicken
Modern hybrids
There are lots to choose from, not all of them little brown jobbies. Black Rock, Maran, Bovans Nera, Calder Ranger, Goldline, Meadowsweet Ranger, White Star, Sussex Star, Bluebell, Speckedly, Isa Brown to name a few. Mostly they are produced by individual breeders which have their own favourites. There isn’ t a great deal to choose between them, and a trio of birds might cost as much as £ 45.00 from most good breeders.
Ex Batts( ex-battery hens)
These are birds‘ rescued’ from caged bird farms which have undergone a year’ s laying, and are entering the moult. They often look a mess, with few feathers, but they are often remarkably healthy in most cases. Starting out with ex batts might be a little beyond the new poultry keeper simply because the transition from the cage to a garden is stressful, and sometimes one of the birds can die, which can be distressing. However, many a successful flock has been built on ex-batts.
Buying
“ On the whole, hybrid hens are sterile, and since you don’ t need a cockerel to initiate egg laying, it is unusual to find hybrid males.”
We recommend going to a good local breeder where you can not only get your hens, the feed you need( which is really important- hens do not live off scraps, but a well balanced feed regime of pellets), the equipment you need, but really good advice as well. Most breeders are really enthusiastic about their hens, and selling them to the public, whom they hope will be long term customers. So the rule of thumb is, if in doubt, find someone else.
Want to know more?
Try‘ The Urban Hen’ by Paul Peacock, an informative, practical and fun guide to keeping chickens in a town or city. The book will help you choose the right hen and look after it in a small space.
Buy now from Amazon
Click the book to visit the page!
Our LBJs in the garden