Chookies like:
- a lot of space, dust to bathe in, scratching (they will destroy a garden if they get access, but have a wonderfully fun time doing it),
- clean water daily,
- at least one companion,
- grain, veggie and fruit scraps, insects (eg worms, slaters, snails),
- somewhere dark to lay and clean straw in their nesting box,
- shelter from weather and sprinklers,
- somewhere safe to sleep (they can be quite heavy sleepers).
- Like all birds they are also very sensitive to air quality (think of the canary in the coal mine) - so spraying fruit trees, roses, weeds, mosquitoes etc anywhere in the vicinity could have fatal consequences.
As far as we know there are two vet clinics that specialise in birds (eg for chookies that need vaccinations, or treatment for parasites, or are eggbound (emergency), or are sick, or injured, or need euthanasia). They're Wattle Grove Veterinary Hospital and Riseley Veterinary Centre in Myaree.
For people who live in older houses where organochloride based insecticides may have been used in the past and got into the soil the chooks are scratching and eating in, eggs can be tested to make sure they're safe for human consumption. Especially important if the chooks can get under the house where such insecticides are more likely to have been used eg against termites.
2. Check your local council rules
Each local council will have rules about how many chooks can be kept at a property, and how close to the boundary etc etc. Most councils don't allow roosters to be kept. It is hard to sex chickens so only take in young adults to be sure of getting a hen.
3. Anticipate compatibility issues with other pets
To avoid unnecessary suffering we want to make it very clear that many dogs will chase and injure or kill chooks, and cats will kill them too if they can (eg chicks, bantams). Options include avoiding having incompatible kinds of pet, or having a very secure chook yard preferably with a self-locking gate that can't be accidentally left open.
From our experience ducks and chooks don't go well together either, duckies make all water sources dirty almost instantly so you have loads and loads of water dishes to keep cleaning out and refilling.
4. Chose good poultry feed
Layers need at least 16%protein in their food source.
Chooks thrive on food scraps but not rotten food. Save the latter for the compost heap instead. Chook manure will also do wonders for the compost pile, but don't put it on garden beds until it's rotted down for several weeks or it'll burn the plants.
Surprising chookie fact - some of them eat mice. If considering baiting for rodents, remember this.
5. Introduce new chooks in pairs
If there's already a group of hens, introduce any new chooks in pairs. One hen introduced on her own may get picked on by everyone else
6. Have a plan for your old chooks
Hens do not lay eggs forever. They live maybe 4-6 years depending on breed and lay regularly for maybe a year or two, then less frequently eg in spring only, then not at all. Consequences of this are 1. If all the chooks are the same age there'll be a bounty of eggs for a while, then none at all. 2. A plan is needed about what to do with older hens, which basically amounts to choosing between their retirement and death.
Our conclusion: A couple of chooks are cheap and low maintenance, much more so than a dog or cat. They're hugely entertaining to watch, turn the household's waste food scraps into non-cage eggs with bright yellow yolks and into manure for the compost/garden, and some of them will tolerate being cuddled.
