Why hens suit a small rural garden

Few things say rural living quite like the low cluck of a hen scratching about by the hedge. The good news is that you do not need a smallholding to keep them. Three or four hens will settle happily into a corner of a modest garden, and in return you get fresh eggs, a useful patrol against slugs, manure for the compost heap, and a great deal of quiet company.

You do not need a cockerel for eggs, which is a mercy for everyone within earshot. Two hens is the absolute minimum, since they are flock birds and a lone hen is a miserable one, but three or four suits most gardens nicely. Before you start, check your deeds or tenancy for any covenant against livestock, and have a friendly word with the nearest neighbours. A well-kept flock rarely causes trouble; a neglected one always does.

Housing: coop, run and shelter

Hens are hardy, but they need somewhere dry, draught-free and secure. A coop sized for the number of birds you keep should offer around 25cm of perch per hen and one nest box (roughly 30cm square) for every three or four birds. Raised off the ground is best, both to keep the floor dry and to stop damp rising into the bedding.

Ventilation matters more than warmth. Hens cope with frost far better than with stale, humid air, so look for high-level vents that let moisture out without blowing across the perch. Line the floor with 3–5cm of dust-extracted wood shavings or hemp; avoid straw, which goes damp and mouldy quickly.

• Perches: a flat-topped 5cm batten is kinder to feet than a round dowel.
• Run: allow at least one square metre per hen, ideally two. More space means fewer squabbles and less mud.
• Mesh: 16–19 gauge weldmesh with 25mm holes. Chicken wire keeps hens in; it does not keep foxes out.
• Roof: cover at least part of the run so the birds have dry ground in wet weather and shade in summer. A layer of woodchip keeps the floor from turning to slurry.

Fox-proofing and other visitors

In the countryside, the fox is the threat that ends most flocks. Foxes are strong, patient and excellent climbers, and they will happily test a fence night after night until they find the weak point.

• Bury the mesh. Either sink it 45cm into the ground or lay a 60cm apron flat on the surface and peg it down. Foxes dig at the base of a fence, not in the middle of a field.
• Cover the top. A run without a roof is an invitation. A 2m fence means nothing to a determined fox.
• Fit proper latches. Spring hooks can be nosed open. Use bolts, two-step catches or carabiners.
• Shut them in at dusk. Count heads every evening — this single habit saves more hens than any gadget. An automatic pop-hole opener is worth its cost for late summer evenings.
• Watch for badgers and rats. Badgers will tear through light mesh, and rats take chicks, eggs and feed while spreading disease. Store feed in sealed metal or heavy plastic bins and sweep up spills.

Feeding and watering

Keep it simple. A good-quality layers' pellet, available all day, should make up the bulk of the diet — roughly 120g per hen per day. Introduce it from around 18–22 weeks, when the first eggs appear.

• Grit: mixed poultry grit in a small hopper helps them grind their food.
• Calcium: oyster shell offered free-choice keeps shells hard. Soft-shelled eggs usually mean they need more.
• Greens: hang a cabbage or some kale from the run roof, and let them have dandelions, chickweed and windfall fruit.
• Water: refresh daily in a shallow drinker, keep it in the shade in summer and bring it indoors on frosty nights. Hens drink far more than people expect.

Skip kitchen scraps. Rules on feeding catering waste to poultry are strict for good reason, and scraps dilute a carefully balanced ration anyway. Never offer anything mouldy, and keep treats such as corn to a handful in the evening.

Keeping hens healthy

A clean coop prevents most problems. Strip and scrub it weekly, and do a thorough deep clean each month.

• Red mite: grey specks that live in crevices, not on the birds. Check perch ends, nest box joints and under the roof, and treat with a poultry-safe product.
• Worms: worm the flock every three to six months using a licensed product added to feed.
• Scaly leg mite: raised, crusty scales on the legs. Smother with petroleum jelly.
• Feather pecking: almost always boredom or crowding. Add perches, hanging greens and a dry dust bath of soil, sand and wood ash.

Quarantine any new bird for a fortnight before introducing her. Expect a moult each autumn and fewer eggs through the short days of winter — that is normal, not illness. Do also keep your flock registered on the national poultry register, as current rules require, and be ready to house birds if an avian influenza outbreak brings in restrictions.

A rhythm to the day

Chicken keeping settles into a pleasant routine. In the morning, let them out, count them, check feed and water. In the evening, collect the eggs, shut them in and count again. Weekly, scrub the drinker and poo-pick the run. That is genuinely most of it.

Choose hybrids if you want a steady supply of large brown eggs, or pure breeds and bantams if character matters more than quantity — a Sussex or a Marans will do you proud, while bantams suit the smallest gardens. Start with three, give them space, keep them dry and lock them up properly, and they will reward you for years with the freshest breakfast in the county.