My Happy Hens

By Karen Seoighe

I have eight little emotional attachments to the subject of hens. They greet me at an ungainly gallop every morning and one even "laid" a toy car for my three year old on his birthday. I purchased them from a chicken abattoir as they were being off loaded from the truck. They were handed to me by the legs, like two upside-down bunches of rather surprised feathered flowers. Although like many battery hens they did not actually have much in the way of feathers. Despite being "end-of-lay" or "spent" hens, my girls have laid their little hearts out ever since I got them over a year ago. Their metamorphosis into beautiful happy hens has been a joy to witness.

Whether you decide to raise them from chicks, buy from a chicken fancier or rescue battery hens, keeping chickens is an immensely enjoyable hobby. It doesn't take long for them to recognise you and greet you in an adoring
did-you-bring-food manner, nor does it take long for you to realise that you have an interesting and highly entertaining collection of curious individuals.

Chickens are easy to keep. Their pleasures are simple: somewhere to dust bathe in the sun, fresh greens to nibble and a place to scratch and find tasty delights. You will need to vaccinate them against the dreaded Newcastle disease twice initially (one month apart) and annually thereafter. This is frightfully easy to do; you simply mix it into their drinking water. The hardest part is remembering to bring along a cooler box and cold pack when you collect the vaccine from your vet. Your chickens will also need to be dewormed every six months or so. If you want to maintain good relations with your neighbours, I'd recommend that you stick with girls.

The corn, sorghum and sunflower mix you see in the supermarket is fine as a treat, but does not provide sufficient nutrition. Young chickens need Growing Mash and adults need Laying Mash or Pellets. Laying hens need a calcium supplement to replace the vast quantities of calcium used to produce egg shells.

If you want that adoration factor, ensure your girls get plenty of fresh treats from the kitchen. My hens have a particular fondness for apples, spinach and spaghetti. Hens enjoy roaming the garden but must be kept safe from dogs and other dangers. They need somewhere warm to sleep and lay their eggs, and must have access to fresh food and water at all times.

There is something special about having hens, the gentle sounds they make and collecting fresh (still warm) eggs for Sunday morning breakfast are part of a simpler, happier way of life.