Your complete guide to keeping chickens in the UK. Learn about daily care, housing, diet, egg-laying, protecting from predators, raising chicks, how to successfully sell eggs and much more.
How Much To Feed Chickens: Daily Portion Guide Knowing how much to feed chickens helps you to prevent waste while ensuring every bird receives the right nutrition. As a starting point, allow around 100–120g of complete feed per average adult hen each day. However, as breed size, weather, laying activity and feeder access can all…
Vent Gleet In Chickens: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Vent gleet in chickens can look worrying, especially if your hen has dirty feathers, discharge, soreness or a strong smell around her back end. It is not something to ignore, but it is also not something to treat by guesswork. In this post, we’ll look at what…
Red Mite FAQs Red mite can cause a lot of worry because it is often discovered suddenly, usually when the coop is already showing signs of infestation. These red mite FAQs answer common questions about symptoms, eggs, people, pets, housing and treatment products. For the full step-by-step process, read our main guide to red mite…
Best Bantam Breeds to Keep in the UK The best bantam breeds to keep in the UK are the ones that suit real back garden conditions, not just the ones that look striking in photos. For most keepers, a good bantam is hardy, has a manageable temperament, and for which everyday care is straightforward. With…
Pros And Cons Of Keeping Bantams Bantams have long been a popular choice for UK chicken keepers, especially for those with limited space or who want a smaller, more manageable flock. They can be great little birds to keep, full of personality and are often easier to accommodate than larger birds. But as they are…
Newcastle Disease In Chickens: What UK Keepers Need To Know While thankfully rare in the UK, Newcastle disease is one of the most serious illnesses that can affect chickens. Every keeper should be aware of what it is, how it spreads, the signs to look out for, and what to do if they suspect it….
What To Feed Moulting Chickens for Better Health Moulting is the natural process where hens shed old feathers and grow fresh ones. This usually happens in late summer or autumn, but can extend into early winter. Regrowing feather requires a lot of energy, so birds often look untidy, slow down and stop laying eggs for…
Rat Proof Chicken Coop: Simple Ways To Keep Rats Away From Your Chickens Rats can be a problem all year round, but when the cold weather kicks in, they start looking for warm, sheltered places with easy access to food. A chicken coop provides exactly that combination, unless of course, you take a few simple…
Bumblefoot In Chickens: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Bumblefoot in chickens is one of those problems most keepers come across at some point. It can look dramatic, with that dark scab on the sole of the foot, and I know from experience it can make a hen limp badly. Left untreated it can become a very…
The Best Thing For Removing And Preventing Red Mite In Chicken Coops Red mites are every chicken keeper’s nightmare when they get into the housing. Once established, they breed at astonishing speed and make nights miserable for your flock. Mites hide in cracks and corners of the coop by day, then emerge at night to…