The Chicken and the Egg
Do you love an Easter egg hunt? Imagine finding fresh eggs every day in your backyard. You can, if you keep your own chooks.
The Squeeze: Battery farm hens have a sad, short life of only 18 months, but chickens can live for 5-7 years, and make great pets.
Having chickens is easier than you think, and with a little bit of effort there are big benefits. You will have to choose the right breed (this will depend on the climate in your area and whether you have kids or other pets), house them in a chicken coop, and feed and water them.
Chickens will help care for your garden by eating insects, weeds, leaves and fresh lawn clippings. They will also eat most of your leftovers and their droppings, once composted, makes great fertiliser. But the best part is you can have delicious fresh organic eggs every day!
If you are tempted but just not sure, try hiring some chooks. If you like them you can buy them, and if you decide it’s not for you - you can return them. Check out these businesses:
- Book A Chook (Melbourne based)
- City Chicks (Brisbane based)
- Rentachook (Sydney based, but will locate suppliers Australia wide)
If you want to know about having chooks see these informative sites:
Living Lime: A chicken coop called the “Front Yard Full Monty Coop” has been designed that is powered with solar energy. Using the green energy it propels itself every hour, keeping the chickens active and healthy. Check out these other clever coop designs here.
To squeeze some more green out of your day: Don’t buy eggs from caged hens!
By Anna Minns
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