New Year Resolutions

Jessica Wombwell looks at improvement ideas to stick to

Every now and again we all think that perhaps now is the time to assess what we are doing with the poultry and could there be improvements? Although you may recall doing plenty of homework when first thinking about keeping chickens, many of us fall into the same routine and never think about whether or not anything should be changed.

Apart from the traditional New Year resolutions – most of which are never kept for longer than a few weeks – it is certainly a good time of year to think about the poultry and whether they have been a sound investment or how their well-being could be bettered and the work load lessened.

Firstly, think about what you have and why you keep them? This may seem rather obvious but quite often we breed or are given chickens that are surplus to our needs and it is only a kind heart that agrees to look after them.

As with any other livestock, fewer are easier to look after than a lot! Look at whether you can sell those that you really don’t need or how you can cut back should you want a few more point of lay pullets.

Generally smallholders keep chickens for their eggs and although the birds are not machines, depending on the breed you keep, they will either provide you with lots of eggs throughout the season or just a few. If it is eggs for the kitchen you are after then think about whether you want immediate replacements if your chickens go into the moult or whether you are prepared to look after them and wait until the next laying cycle comes around. Whatever you decide remember that all birds cost the same to keep whether they are providing eggs or not.