But before we find out which is the best way to raise your chickens. Let’s talk a little about eggs purchased from supermarkets and the terms they use. Terms like free-range are the most overused and misunderstood and standard medium-sized eggs or large-size eggs.
Most people have heard about the Horrors of Battery Hens but not many have actually seen what these birds go through. Well, let me tell you it’s not nice and it’s downright inhumane. This is all the more reason to get yourself a couple of hens.
Also what the Supermarkets call Free-Range is not much better at all. But they have the cheek to charge more and put a picture of the happy-looking chicken’s on the box. I can tell you that those Free- Range hens are not happy hens. The image below is more like what the hens look like when they do manage to leave the crowded hen houses.
Why people don’t understand what they are buying?
Supermarkets’ tricks of the trade are there to trick you into parting with more money. Lots of people confuse the terms free-range chickens, caged chickens (cheap eggs) and they have lots of other names to confuse you even more. Very few people have heard of pasture-raising chickens…? When it comes to raising your chickens which is the most healthy and safest way to raise them.? Yes, the safety of your chicken matters too.
Most people will purchase eggs and think nothing about purchasing the eggs that are the cheapest. The poor birds that laid those cheap eggs have never seen the light of day. They are spending their lives on an area the size of an A4 piece of paper. They will be killed after only 2 years of living. Some people do rescue a couple of hens and may get rehomed.
Most of these hens have lost 50% or more of their feathers and are really traumatized from their experience. They can have a hard time settling into their new environment with new hens. Other hens can also be very nasty towards hens they see a weak hen and they will attack them. It’s their nature to do this, remember they are not that far away from Dinosaurs.
On the other hand, some do thrive with little care and will lay eggs for years to come, but most never get the chance. That is the sad story behind cheap eggs, poor living, lots of antibiotics and very short lives.
We have also got to remember that some people do not have the money to purchase more expensive eggs. But do Free-Range eggs have to be expensive? The answer is “NO” they do not have to be expensive. There are plenty of people who raise chickens. The chickens live like chickens should and live healthy productive lives for a lot longer than two years.
So were to get Quality Eggs Cheaply.?
If you are wanting eggs that are of good quality. I would advise people to purchase their eggs local and see how the hens are living. Some will get shocked at how cheap they can get quality eggs locally.
Keep your eyes open when driving down the country roads in your area. I also don’t mean in the wide-open countryside. You will find local egg sellers on the edge of towns. Small farms with a couple of acres would love to sell you some of their fresh eggs.
So What Is The Best Way To Raise Hens If You Can.?.
If you have a small area you might have a Static Chicken Coop. It will also help in the cruel practice that goes on in battery houses and other egg-providing facilities.
One thing to remember, if you have more than 40 hens here in the UK. You need to be registered with DEFRA which stands for “Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs” and get your “CPH Number”. This is mandatory across the UK to control disease and keep track of poultry movements.
This is really important and you must comply or you can be fined for none complience.
There are lots of people who only keep a couple of hens in chicken runs or coops and if you do. It is very important to make sure each bird has enough room at least 1 square meter per bird just to make their lives comfortable.
If they don’t have enough room to move around. They may start fighting and feather plucking, this is where hens will pluck the tail feathers from others. This is not nice to see and is certainly not nice for the girls.
If you are raising your chickens in a run or coop then make sure you have the right material for the coop or run area. Some of the best material to cover your chicken run surface area is wood chippings around 100mm to 150mm deep. This will stop the area from getting muddy and believe me it will. It will also give the hens plenty to do and do what comes naturally to them. That is scratching around looking for bugs etc.
If you also add some treats in there like hanging apples, Brussels sprouts, and other greens this will also keep them occupied.
And if you do have a larger garden but still use a static run. Why not let them out to roam the garden once and a while they will help you get rid of those pesky bugs and grubs.
What is Free-Range
Lots of people think that when they purchase eggs off the shelves in their local supermarket with free-range on the box. Then it must be free-ranging in a field somewhere right.?. It must be living a beautiful life somewhere producing the best eggs and meat yes..! Well, that could not be further from the truth.
The truth of the matter is that most free-range supermarket hens and eggs are cooped up all day. Yes up to and maybe more than 25,000 birds in a large barn. What free-range means is the birds have 2 square feet and that they have access to the outside. Most of the hens will never get close to going outside. If you know chickens then you will know that they have a pecking order and maybe a few will venture out. The rest will stay indoors and be subject to lots of respiratory problems and still filled with antibiotics etc.
Homestead or Small Holding Free Range Chickens
Now, this is a different thing altogether and is a good way to raise your hens. The eggs will have bright orangey yolks and the meat will also taste better. But that being said if you know chickens then you will also know that they like to hang around in the same places. This is because they are hanging around the cockerel if you have one or they just feel safer in a pack. It’s much safer in numbers and they are not getting the best out of the land.
If you are letting your hens free-range in a small garden then they will probably explore everywhere, but they will soon have everywhere down to soil and mud.
So what is the best way to raise your hens
The best way to raise your hens, so that they get fresh grass and bugs and grubs daily is to pasture them. Now, this can be done even in small gardens by rotating their run area. You can use a small electric fence and move it around the coop area. Let the area they have just grazed, rest for a couple of days. Then move it again and you may get 4 small areas. Areas that will get rest overtime of a week to ten days before the hens get back onto that patch ground.
If you have more land, then chicken tractors are brilliant, like the one in the image below. This is one that I designed in Sketchup and built using the least amount of materials and costing the least amount of money.
Using chicken tractors is one of if not the best ways to make sure your birds are doing what comes naturally to them. They are getting everything they need and will be busy all day. I give each of my hens a 2 square meter area and move my tractor daily. They only eat half the pellets they normally would, keeping the food bill down and producing the most amazing eggs.
Check out my post What Is A Chicken Tractor you can see them there.
Using chicken tractors also protects your hens from predators and in my area, it is Foxes, Dogs, Cats, and Buzzards. Again if you know your hens even when you let them roam out of the hen house they don’t go far. They seem to stay pretty close. Again I am suspecting this is so they can run like the clappers if the big fella sounds the predator alarm back to the hen house.
Pasturing your hens is safe and healthy for you and the hens
Yes, I have kept chickens for many years and if I let them roam around and I’m talking within meters of my sheds, etc. Then the fox or another predator will take them. I have had this happen many times. There is nothing worse than seeing your prized hens being carried off by Mr Fox.
The most successful way that I have been able to keep my hens healthy and safe. Also, the hens get everything they need is using chicken tractors. They get fresh ground daily, plenty of room to move around and plenty of bugs and grubs. It helps keep the grass fresh and it will take around 2 weeks for the tractor to get back to the same spot. By this time the ground is rejuvenated and the grass is back and so are the bugs and grubs.
I have many breeds of pure breed hens that I have just hatched this year. My farm is based around selling the hens, to people looking to have a couple of fresh eggs daily. It will also be selling to other breeders and this form of grazing and breeding will bring the most profit.
They will all be out pasturing next year in a total of 16 – 20 chicken tractors. This will also stop the cockerels from trying to breed with different breeds of hens, giving me hybrids. So it’s a win, win all around.
Hens are happy, I’m happy, Cockerels are happy and there is no fighting. I will also have 100% pure breeds with no sneaky casanova having his way with some of the other girls.
If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you and thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Till next time bye for now..!
