Caring for Poultry
Poultry, such as chickens, can make great pets. They can be very social animals and will usually bond easily with you once they know you are the one who provides the food.
The average lifespan of a chicken is 8-15 years, so you will need to be committed to their regular daily care and attention. They are dependent on you to provide food, water, medical care and shelter.
If you have any other questions or concerns after adoption, please call us on (04) 389 8044 to speak to someone in our Small Animals Team who will be happy to assist.
Battery hens are hens that have spent their life in a very small cage, laying eggs. These hens will need special attention, as some may have little or no feathers, so they will need good protection from the sun (for sunburn) and other natural elements. Some of them may also need to be taught to roost, dig and use nesting boxes, but quite often it will come naturally. Some may also need to be slowly introduced to open spaces.
Your new chickens will need to be transported securely within boxes or carry cages with air holes. They will also need to be in an enclosed secure vehicle, not on the back of a truck. Do not stop on your way home and leave the chickens in the car as they can overheat in vehicles very easily.
Introduce them to their new chicken house by confining them inside for 24 hours with food and water, so they accept it as their new home.
All animals need shelter, especially chickens. You will need to have your chicken house set up before you bring any chickens home. There are a lot of different options that you can research at the library or on the internet.
Some recommendations
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Set the chicken house up on well-drained land that will not flood.
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The house needs to provide a minimum space of 2 sqm for 10 birds (this also depends on the size of your chickens).
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A lockable door or a pop-hole to keep out any predators.
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Good ventilation is very important, but you need to also prevent cold draughts.
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Provide nesting boxes for each chicken to lay their eggs.
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Nesting boxes should be filled with wood shavings (non-treated) or straw.
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The floor of the chicken house should drain freely and be kept clean and dry. There must always be dry areas for roosting.
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Cover the floor with wood shavings for ease of cleaning and for the birds to scratch and forage in.
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Clean the chicken house daily with a more thorough clean once a week.
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The house will need to have roosting perches raised off the ground. It needs to be high enough to protect the birds from predators or rodents, but low enough to be readily accessible without the risk of injury to the birds.
All chickens should be able to go outside and forage. A run can be provided for this – for protection from predators, including birds such as hawks. If the outdoor area becomes very muddy or dusty, and has little vegetation, then the chicken-house and run should be moved to provide fresh vegetation.
There are a variety of commercially-prepared foods for your poultry, which you can buy from pet stores or a stock feed company, and they will provide all the nutrients needed.
When to feed
If you let your birds out during the day to run around, it is a good idea to feed them in the evening in their chicken house, so that sparrows don’t get their food and you can easily put them away at night. They will follow you to where the food is going.
Fresh food
Chickens also like fresh food including sweet corn and lettuce. Ex-battery hens may take some time to enjoy this food as they will not be used to it.
You can scatter the food on the ground outside if it is dry – so they can peck and scratch for it. If you have adopted hens that have had their beaks trimmed, their feed will need to be put in a bowl as they will be unable to pick it up from the ground.
Water
You should also always provide fresh water every day. It is best to provide this in a water fountain / feeder, which can be raised above ground level on bricks or suspended. This is to prevent the chickens from scratching soil or dirt into it. You should also provide some grit, which often comes with the commercial food in a separate container. This will aid egg production by providing calcium. All dishes for feeding and drinking should be cleaned daily.
To pick up a chicken encircle its body with your hands, holding the wings down while supporting the body from below. You can then carry it by gently placing it under one arm to prevent it extending and flapping its wings.
Chickens are very social animals and they will develop a ‘pecking order’. Dominant birds will control movement, feeding and socialisation.
Chickens are pretty easy to handle. They are intelligent animals that are able to distinguish and give different alarm calls when threatened by various predators.
However, they may feel nervous in open spaces as this can make them feel vulnerable to attack, so introduce them slowly to any large open spaces.
Broodiness
When broody, a hen will sit on the nest box making it unavailable to other hens, so it is best to have one nesting box per hen. You can stop this behaviour by separating the hen for a while from the others.
Feather pecking
Sometimes you will find that one or two hens may attack other hens. Sometimes they may even draw blood. If this occurs, first take the victim to a vet.
They should eventually sort themselves out, with some of those being attacked perhaps roosting more than others. If the problem persists, then you can try separating the attacker into a temporary pen within sight of the other hens for a short time and this should cure the problem.
Moulting
Chickens will shed their old feathers and grow new ones to replace them. This happens about once a year and the new feathers take about 1-2 months to grow. If you adopt ex-battery hens you may find they do not have feathers – this is caused by rubbing their bodies up against the battery hen cages. Their feathers will grow back within a month or two.
If you think your chicken is ill, the best thing to do is consult your vet. A sick bird may look depressed, hunched up with feathers fluffed out, and the head is carried low or tucked under the wing. It is a good idea to monitor food and water intake every day in your chickens as a reduction could be an early sign of ill health.
Common ailments
- Coccidiosis – a common problem in poultry, this is a disease of the intestine caused by a tiny parasite. It results in dullness, diarrhoea and weight loss, and sometimes death. You should put into practice a Coccidian prevention method – talk to your vet about this.
- Bumble foot – this occurs when a wound under the foot heals but pus remains underneath. Watch out for any limping birds and ensure there are no sharp stones in the run. You should consult a vet if you suspect this.
- Mites – there are two common mites in New Zealand, the northern fowl mite, and the chicken mite or red mite, The northern fowl mite is more common in caged layers, particularly around the vent where it can cause blackening of the skin due to soiling. The red mite is more common in free-range systems. These parasites hide in crevices in the chicken house, emerging at night to feed on the roosting hens. Birds become anaemic and emaciated. A warning sign is if birds are reluctant to go inside, another is if small drops of blood are spotted. To prevent mites, the house must be cleaned thoroughly and sprayed with an anti-mite product.
- Lice – there are several species of lice which live entirely on birds and cause irritation by feeding on feathers and skin. They usually lay eggs at the base of the feathers, especially around the vent or the head, which will cause head shaking. Consult your vet on how to treat these if they occur.
- Scaly leg – this is a condition caused by mites burrowing into the skin between the scales of the legs. It produces white crusts which distort the leg scales and it is extremely infectious. Clean the house, move the birds onto fresh ground and consult a vet.
- Impacted crop – symptoms include hens with no appetite who look miserable and with a crop that feels solid (the crop is part of the hen's oesophagus, at the base of the neck, where the initial stages of digestion can occur). It is caused by the ingestion of unsuitable material such as long stalks of grass. It is best to consult a vet if you suspect an impacted crop.
- Worms – chickens are susceptible to infestation by worms. Symptoms can include a reduction in the rate of egg laying, an increase in hunger and sometimes diarrhoea. If you suspect your chicken has worms, consult a vet for the appropriate medication and information on a regular worming programme.
You can read more on the Ministry for Primary Industries website (search layer hens).
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