December 29, 2008

Downturn means more people keeping chickens

Is it a sign of the economic times or the fact the people want to go free range, that there has been a marked rise in the amount of families who have decided to give up some of their garden to chickens? The idea being that for giving the birds the leftovers from diner, they will provide fresh eggs every day.

However, this is not in the country, this is urban hen keeping. This form of egg production has really taken off recently probably in the last year of so. There is no solid reason behind but being able to produce fresh free range eggs for a fraction of the price has to be something to do with it.

The maths is easy, the average hen will set you back about £10 to £12, but they will lay over the three hundred eggs per year. All they need is somewhere safe to sleep and food. For family it is clear to see that keeping chickens can be a productive method of saving money and providing a good quality food.

Source [Guardian]