The most trouble-free chickens to purchase are vaccinated hens at the point of lay (16 to 18 weeks) from a reliable commercial source. You will need at least two as chickens are social animals.
Chickens need a well-drained and well-ventilated pen, with enough space to ensure chickens don’t fight, and is functional and easy to clean.
A chicken house should give shade from direct sunlight plus water-proofing from rain, particularly where the chickens roost and lay. It works well if the chicken house is located under a tree for shade.
The chicken house should be north facing with an eve about a metre long to protect from the summer sun but let the light in during winter. Make sure the house is tall enough to stand up in. Cover the floor with sawdust to form a deep litter for the chicken’s droppings.
Make sure the chicken house is fox-proof and unless the sides are attached to a wooden or concrete floor, dig them into the soil to a depth of at least a half a metre.
Make sure there are no gaps that predators could get in, there are secured catches and locks, and consider using a fox light.
For chickens that are not allowed to roam outside their pen clip one wing, not both, to prevent them from flying. Always secure your chickens in the chicken house before the end of the day.
Nesting boxes need to be off the ground, be deep and fairly dark for seclusion, and regularly add fresh straw. Ideally build the house with outside access to the nesting boxes.
Perches for roosting need to be wide enough for the chickens to comfortably stand on, at a jumping height and the right thickness for their feet.
Chickens are naturally omnivores, so they eat a variety of foods. Pellets are a satisfactory food source but can be supplemented with food scraps.
Don't feed more scraps than the chickens can consume or else the leftovers will attract vermin and create odours, don’t give food scraps that are mouldy or have gone off otherwise you chickens may become sick. Give a source of calcium such as shell grit to help form their eggs.
Commercially available feeders and water dispensers work well – have them off the ground to keep them clean. A round feeder is good for the pecking order as the weaker chicken can be on the other side of the circle and not beside the dominant chicken.
Provide enough pellets for no more than one week to prevent them from becoming stale. Chickens also need continual access to clean, fresh water – they drink a lot.
Monitor your chickens daily for their health, egg production, and food and water availability, and collect their eggs daily.
Regularly clean your chicken coop including feeders, drinkers and equipment, and frequently replace nesting materials.
Always wash your hands with warm water and soap after handling birds, eggs or other materials in the coop.
Agriculture Victoria is currently responding to an outbreak of H7N8 avian influenza (bird flu) on four Victorian poultry farms near Euroa.
A housing requirement is now in place only for properties with 50 or more birds in the restricted area.
This disease detection serves as a reminder for all bird owners to routinely monitor the health of their birds. If you suspect your birds are sick, contact your local vet or call the all-hours Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
To avoid this happening to your flock avoid contact between poultry and wild birds, keep feed and water in a protected place where wild birds can’t access, and keep your poultry away from water sources frequented by wild birds such as streams, dams, ponds and even puddles. Limit visitors to your birds and use clean footwear.
If you are planning to have more than 50 chickens, you are required to have a Property Identification Code, and either be in a quality assurance program or complete and follow Agriculture Victoria’s food safety management statement.
Also, check your local government requirements, as many have by-laws on flock size and housing, as well as prohibiting keeping roosters in metropolitan areas.
Chickens are an easy and enjoyable animal to keep. So, if you are thinking about it give it a go. For further information regarding keeping backyard poultry, visit: https://go.vic.gov.au/3FrSzz9.
– Dr Jeff Cave is the senior veterinary officer for Agriculture Victoria’s northern region.
