How I save up to £10 a week by keeping hens and ducks in my backyard
The prospect of keeping chickens had never entered my mind until my partner's disgust of the concept of battery hens led to us randomly deciding to get a flock of our own.
Within minutes they had managed to fly over the wall which led to us searching YouTube in a panic to find out how to cut their primary flight feathers on one wing so they couldn't balance properly. It's a completely painless procedure and means that one wing is heavier than the other so they aren't able to fly away.
At first, family and friends thought I was crazy; my dad even asked if I needed planning permission to keep chickens , and word soon got around the neighbourhood that I had turned my backyard into a farmyard. Before long, I was getting random knocks on the door, with neighbours asking if they could buy some of my eggs.
If you're thinking of keeping chickens you also need to consider who will look after them if you go away. Although chickens don't need a lot of oversight they do need locking away at night and letting out in the morning to prevent any unwanted fox or cat attacks. Saying that, having seen our chickens peck our Dobermann into submission, I suspect any predators would have a fight on their hands if they got into our backyard.
Around four months ago I was contacted by a friend of mine who has a large garden with a pond along with a number of ducks. He would either eat or give away the eggs but one morning woke up to see about 20 tiny ducklings wadding out from under a hedge! After giving the majority away to friends he was left with the final two and asked if I would take them. I couldn't resist.
Some facts you might not be aware of... chickens and ducks LOVE sunbathing. The hens lie down and stretch our their legs and wings, something which alarmed me at first as they look as if they've collapsed, and their favourite activity is having a 'dust bath' in our planters filled with soil. They're not a fan of water but have been subjected to the odd shower if they've got particularly filthy.
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