Interested in owning your own chickens? Want to have eggs that have been freshly laid in the morning? Well here is your guide to doing just that. We understand how daunting it is as a novice to take the plunge so here is a quick guide to what you will need.

Buying your Feathered Friends

When buying a chicken there are a few simple things to look out for. Firstly you want to make sure that your chosen chook is nice and healthy.

Here are a few tips on what to look out for -

•    The chicken should have lovely bright eyes. If the eyes are watery or crusty then there is the possibility of underlying health problems.

•    The condition of any animal’s coat is a good indicator of their good or bad health. The feathers should have a nice sheen to them.

Home Sweet Home

Home is where the heart is and these chickens will definitely become a beloved family member. Here are the essential items to get sorted before welcoming your new chicken’s home. All the items listed are available at Cotswold chickens.

•    A coop

•    A Run – the minimum space is a square meter of run space for every chicken that you own. This is vital as it comes under the 2006 animal welfare act. There are a range of different coops available at Cotswold Chickens.

•    Basic or complete starter kit ( includes feed, drinker, feeder and lots more)

•    Fake eggs ( helps the chickens to know where to lay their eggs)

•    Cleaning kit (vital cleaning equipment and solutions)

Dinner Time

Choosing the right food for your chicken is very important as it will affect the health of your chickens and the quality of their eggs. The three main chicken feeds are meal/mash, pellets and crumb.

Here at Cotswold Chickens we can offer advice and guidance upon buying your new chickens with our chicken keeping courses. We are open six days a week (closed Wednesdays) and we are extremely happy to welcome any queries or concerns you may have.

In the same way that we require adequate space in our own homes, it is important that your chickens have enough room in their house. Purchasing the correct sized chicken house can be a difficult task which is why we here at Cotswold Chickens are on hand to ensure that you buy the right house to suit the number of chickens you own. We have a large number of chicken houses available from the traditional to the modern, inventive designs.

With a variety of sizes, we have chicken houses that are suitable for the precise number of chickens you have. We make sure that we specify how many chickens each individual chicken house can hold so that you can then make your purchase accordingly.

There needs to be enough space within each house for your chickens to nest and move around at ease along with an adequate ventilation system and a big enough area for them to comfortably get in and out. We stock both the traditional wooden chicken houses which can hold up to 8 hens alongside the smaller, modern design of chicken house which is suitable for up to four hens.

As a guide to purchasing a chicken housing, you can estimate that a hen will take up a hand spans width on its perch at night which you can then use to work out the correct sized house in relation to the number of chickens you own.

All chicken houses from our selection at Cotswold Chickens are designed to provide a comfortable living space for your chickens at the same time as being easy to clean and maintain through features such as pull out dropping trays, hose down surfaces and innovative egg ports which give you direct access to the nesting boxes.

When considering the purchase of chicken houses the most important factor when deciding upon how big it needs to be, is relating it to how many chickens you own. Buying a chicken house from us at Cotswold Chickens will make sure that your chickens are always happy and have a comfortable area to live in.