General Care

In this section you'll find out all you need to know about looking after your hens. If you're starting out or have been keeping hens for a while this section will be of use to you as it contains tips and advice on many things which I've struggled to find easily on many other sites.

If you have any of your own tips on things which have worked for you or something you experienced, share it on our Clucks and Chooks Community Forum.

Daily tasks
Each morning I let my hens out as soon as possible. This exposes them to as much daylight and helps keep egg production up. more

Feeding
There are a variety of foods to give your chickens. Here's some information on the different types of chicken feed, what other supplements are required and what treats you can give them. more

Egg collection
I check the nest boxes every morning, lunchtime and evening for eggs. No matter how many years you've been keeping hens it's still a great feeling spotting an egg in the nest box! more

Handling hens
As mentioned before, it is beneficial to get your hens used to being handled. There are a few different techniques but I tend to pick them up by going to stroke them. more

Chicken coop
Depending on what you're housing your hens in you'll need to carry out various tasks throughout the year. more

Chicken run
There are various tasks and jobs which need to be carried out on the area where you let your chickens roam. more

Protection from predators
If you have an enclosed pen in which the hens roam around in, it's good practice to do a quick check around the perimeter to see if any predators have attempted to break through or burrow under. more

Wing Clipping
If you have a particularly flighty breed and are worried about the hen flying out of the pen, you may want to consider clipping the wing. more