Hatch a plan for backyard chooks

There is nothing quite like a freshly boiled egg for breakfast - dipping toast cut in fingers into that rich orange yolk  - "egg and soldiers" as my kids used to
call it.
It's a simple pleasure, easy to prepare and even nicer if the eggs come from your own poultry - the yolks are always so much brighter and tastier.
I love watching the grandchildren collecting the eggs, often still warm from the nest, especially the little ones - their faces are pictures of surprise and delight as they carefully cradle the egg in their hands.
And who can resist the cuteness of a week-old chick ?
Keeping poultry is not just for rural dwellers. Chickens can be kept in urban and rural areas.
If you want a few backyard hens, check with your local council for the maximum you can keep - in most cases roosters are not permitted in urban areas and there are some regulations you will need to abide by such as housing requirements, but none of them are onerous - just good common sense.
For many lifestyle farmers, having a few chickens  is an important part of their quality of life. They lay eggs - can be a tasty meal if you want, or make great pets, often with silly, but endearing names.
Chickens are fairly easy to look after.   Free-range  or not, you should provide them with warm, clean, dry and draught-free coops and nesting boxes.
There are plenty of styles and sizes available to suit your own  needs. Straw or non-treated wood shavings are good for the floor if you don't have a mobile cage that you can move to fresh patches each day.
Free ranging will provide them with fresh greens, weeds and grasses, bugs and dust for bathing but be warned, they are omnivorous and will eat just about anything - including your garden - so chicken-proof the garden or fence them in an area of their own
Feed chickens a wide range of foods. If you want your eggs and meat to be organic or chemical free you will need to select food appropriately from mixed grains, pellets, mash, wheat and green foods such as comfrey.
Organic and non-organic commercial foods are also available.
Table scraps are a huge favourite, but don't feed them chicken meat, and scraps should not be the flock's sole diet.
Chickens require grit - this is used in place of teeth to grind up food. Ground shell is a good supply of calcium, but you will also need grit such as small crushed rock or coarse river sand.
If your hens are free-range then they should be able to find enough grit themselves.

Kelp or fish is a good way of supplying salt to your chickens, but again this should be fed in small amounts.
 It is vital to supply fresh, clean water at all times. Chickens can be susceptible to  parasites, including, worms, lice, mites, fleas, as well as other diseases.
 Good husbandry will help prevent or lessen some of these problems, but always consult your local vet for advice and products to deal with these issues.