Depending on the size of your hen, you can usually manage to wash them in your kitchen sink or in a shallow tub. Put enough warm water in the tub or sink so that when you pop your hen in the water level is just above the wing tips. Then using a jug, pour water over the chicken until she is properly soaked, you can then lift the hen and dunk her pom-pom into the water making sure to keep her beak out of the water, if you are not confident doing this, then you can run the pomp om under a warm tap again, ensuring the water does not go over the beak. Then thoroughly shampoo and rinse in the same way, make sure all soap suds are out of the feathers. Once the hen has been rinsed you can then towel dry her and finish drying with a hair blow dryer, make sure the hen is fully dry before putting her outside again.

Yes, we actually find some breeds really enjoy a nice bath and blow dry, in particular Silkies, we advise giving your hens a wash if they have become quite dirty. You can use an herbal shampoo or a pet friendly shampoo, make sure you rinse the soap out fully and then towel and blow dry your hens so they are completely dry before putting them back outside.

Provided your chickens are safe, they are happy around most other animals including rabbits, cats, Guinea pigs and dogs.

Cleaning regularly is important for a healthy flock, you can keep your coop clean with regular washing using a Poultry Shield cleaner, then disinfecting with Virkon S. Use a concentrated cleaner mixed with hot water and using a scrubbing brush really get it into all the cracks and crevices of the coop, then rinse with a hose. Once you have done this disinfect with Virkon S, you dilute the powder according to the manufacturer’s instructions in water and use this in a garden sprayer and spray liberally inside and outside of the coop. Once dry put in fresh bedding. Make sure to do this once every 3 months and between cleanings take out any poop and freshen bedding as needed.

A covered area within your run is important, if you want to keep your run from becoming very muddy and wet then we recommend covering it. This is especially important for chickens that are a bit more delicate or for Silkies who have no natural waterproofing to their feathers. During periods of Avian Fly lock down you will be required by law to cover your run with some kind of netting or tarp to stop wild birds getting in and leaving droppings.

It’s essential to offer lots of run space with plenty of enrichment. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, you can use items from around your home and garden to create lots of fun and entertainment for your chickens.

Here are 10 easy run enrichment ideas.

1. Create a dust bath. Cover a section of your run to keep out the rain and create a dust bath, you can use old tubs, sinks and even tyres. Fill them with kiln dried sand and DE powder, this will allow your hens to bathe in the sand and offers a natural boredom buster and mite prevention, it also encourages natural social behaviours and allows your hens to feel happy. Some chickens will prefer it if you sink the bath into the ground so it is flush to the ground level, some hens will not want to climb into it.
2. Make a jungle-gym. Using old pieces of wood, logs and branches you can create climbing frames, perches etc… flight chickens in particular love to climb, perch and be up high, if you have a walk-in run you can utilise the vertical spaces by creating high ledges and perches. If you have flightless chickens you can use log rounds and branches to create jungle-gyms and climbing frames, you can also have areas underneath for cover and tunnels, they love this kind of enrichment as it’s natural and fun. Make sure you disinfect the wood before using and spray often with disinfectant and cleaners.
3. Pecking blocks and fat balls are a great inexpensive run enricher, you can buy these and hang them in the run or you can make them at home with coconut oil and a mix of corn, grains, seeds, herbs etc... They are very high in fat so only offer these every now and then.
4. Healthy Veggies, chickens love veggies and fruits, you can make fruit kebab sticks and hang them from your run, you can use a mix of apples, cucumber, cabbage, strawberries, melon etc…
5. Bales of wood shavings. Simply opening a fresh bale of wood chippings or shavings and leaving it in the middle of the run offers hours of entertainment, the chickens will climb on it and slowly start to forage it down and spread it around the run. You can also put live mealworms in and around the bale, this adds another level of fun to their foraging as they hunt for the grubs and will be good for them too.
6. Create a swing. Flight birds will love this, we have even known Silkies to get involved with ones hung low to the ground. Very easy to make, you get a solid stick or branch and hang from inside the run with string or wire. Could not be easier and they really enjoy it. Again, with natural wood ensure you disinfect it thoroughly before adding to your run and clean regularly.
7. Mirrors. By simply adding a mirror to your run you can offer enrichment, chickens can see their own reflections and find the light reflections from a mirror or shiny surface fascinating. If you don’t have a mirror, try hanging old CDs around the run.
8. Bells. Hang small bells close to the ground, chickens love making them ding and will peck at them, this is a great way to relieve run boredom.
9. Create an area for foraging. Chickens love to forage, it is not only good for their wellbeing as it promotes natural behaviours and communal behaviours, it also has benefits for their health. Chickens need a certain amount of grit in their diet to enable them to digest their feed properly, by creating an area within your run for foraging you will allow them to display this natural behaviour and it’s a great way to offer grit. Dig a section of your run and lay in it loads of gravel, bark and grit, it should be about 6-10 inches deep. You can then sprinkle into this area treats like corn, live grubs etc… this will encourage them to forage in it. It is also a great way for your hens to keep their beaks and toe nails trimmed naturally.
10. Nesting boxes, chickens like to have areas where they can lay eggs safely, if you have a large run and a smaller house you may only have 2-3 nesting areas within your house, offering your chickens additional nesting areas will help egg production and also keep them happy, they will pop in and out of the extra boxes throughout the day and may even sit in them for shelter from the elements, it’s a very easy way to add a little extra enrichment to your run area.

You can mix up the enrichment by alternating the smaller ideas, this means they will have new things to look at, explore and do every time you switch one out for another.

Sadly no, plastic coops are not mite proof, they are however easier to clean and control mite infestations. Mites will live in the crevices of plastic coops, between panels, in door frames etc... This will make it easier to clean as you can take the house apart to clean properly without fear of the mites living in the actual material of the house.

Maintaining a bio secure area can prevent transmission of disease and viruses to your hens. Although some viruses are airborne most can be prevented by keeping a clean disinfected area. We recommend using Virkon S, this is a powdered disinfectant that you add to water, please make sure you dilute according to the quantities recommended by the manufacturer so as to kill the right bacteria, viruses.

Most flight chickens will roost and perch and you should provide a roosting bar for night time rooting. For bantams use a thinner doweling for roosting, if you use a thick piece of wood that is too flat and wide their little feet can’t grasp it properly and this can cause long term damage to their feet and possible lameness over time. Most flightless birds like Silkies, Brahma, Cochin etc… have no natural inclination to be up high and will happily sleep on the floor of the coop and as a rule do not need a roosting bar.

Keeping track of DEFRA updates during the winter months will be important for you to understand what you need to do and when.

DEFRA
During outbreaks you may be required to keep your hens under a covered run, there may also be periods when you cannot have hens delivered into your area, we also check this for you if you are ordering chickens.

The most important thing to be aware of is bio security, maintaining a clean and well disinfected run area is very important. Use Virkon S disinfectant and clean regularly, limit visits from outsiders and have a pair of chicken shoes you only wear to check your own hens, never wear these outside of your environment and disinfect them regularly.