Getting chickens for your garden is a great idea and not just because you get delicious free range eggs every day. Here’s what you need to keep your flock happy.

Not that long ago, every backyard in Australia had a chook house and a flock of chickens pecking away in the corner of the yard. Today, there has been a massive resurgence into backyard poultry, and it’s easy to see why: They make great pets, recycle your kitchen scraps into fantastic fertilizer, gobble up garden bugs, and provide you with delicious home-grown eggs. What’s not to love?

If you are thinking about setting up a chicken coop in your back garden, it’s worth taking a visit to your local agricultural show. Have a chat to one of the poultry producers to get a heads up on what breeds might be suitable for your home. You can talk to the experts, get some advice and see all the different breeds of chicken up close. Also, you can often buy chicks and feed direct from suppliers – plus it’s a great way to know exactly where your pets have come from.

The internet is also a great place to get information on backyard poultry. You’ll be able to buy plans to build a DIY chook shed, or buy a pre-fab one online; buy feed; and even buy fertilised eggs to hatch yourself.

But before you fall headfirst into the pitfalls and pleasures of backyard poultry, we take a look at some of the things to consider before you get started.

Get permission

Some councils require you to apply for a permit to keep livestock in your backyard, others have a maximum number of birds you’re allowed to keep. Many councils won’t let you get a rooster. Check with your local council first.

The coop

Before you can bring home any feathered friends, you are going to need a chicken coop. Depending on how much you love your "girls" these can be elaborate affairs, simple DIY constructions, or even reconditioned dog kennels. While there are loads of amazing chook coops on the market, or plans to help you build your own, before you buy consider the following:

• It needs to provide adequate shelter from all weather conditions
• Be fox and predator proof
• Be easy to clean out
• Have an accessible nesting box for egg collection
• Be an attractive part of the garden
• Be long lasting (years, not months)

Avoid coops that are made from treated timber as the toxic fumes that are released could affect the health of the birds, and in turn the quality of the eggs. A timber coop is eventually going to rot unless you paint it first. Be sure to use a non-toxic weatherproof paint.

Talk to an expert first

Standard-sized chickens need about 15cm2 each inside the coop and 75cm2 per bird in the run. Allow space for a perch inside the coop, because chickens love to roost. The perch should be about 5cm wide for them to be comfortable and allow about 25cm of perch space per bird.

One nesting box is adequate for up to 4 hens.

Ideally, the floor of the coop and the nesting box will be layered with straw, which is easy to clean out. For the outside run, consider using a thick layer of chunky mulch, as it stops the run becoming too muddy when it rains. Plus, the chooks love to forage through the mulch to get to the bugs underneath.

Use chicken wire to protect the coop against foxes and other predators. You might need to think about digging the wire into the ground if it isn’t already a fully enclosed system, as foxes and cats will try very hard to get inside. Make sure the chooks are returned to their coop each evening and locked up every night.

Allow your chickens to free range around your garden whenever possible. This is great for their health, as it provides a more balanced diet (more bugs to scratch and dig for) and helps to alleviate boredom.

Chicken breeds

Each poultry breed has different qualities, from size, colour and temperament to egg laying habits and even egg size.

Choosing a breed of hen is much like choosing any other pet – you’ll need to tick a few boxes. Do you want friendly pets that are great with children? Are you interested in beautiful pure bred chickens? Do you want chickens that are prolific layers? If so, is it important to you to get large brown eggs every day, or are you happy with small white eggs? Answering these questions will help you narrow down your search for your perfect hen.

The Isa Brown chicken was originally developed as a battery hen, and so these brown chooks are prolific layers of the big brown eggs you buy in supermarkets. While their life expectancy is short – only 2-3 years, they are very friendly and great for children.

Bantams are also a popular choice. They come in an amazing variety of colours and make great family pets. They are much smaller than standard chooks so while they take less space, and eat less feed, they produce much smaller eggs than standard chickens, and are rarely as prolific.

Chickens will be happiest if they have a few friends, so as a minimum start with at least three birds. If you want your chickens to be quite tame you’ll need to raise them yourself, so get your chicks when they are about 8 weeks old. On the other hand if you want them to begin laying eggs almost immediately, you’ll want "point of lay" chickens, which are about 22-24 weeks old.

You can buy chicks from breeders and at agricultural markets.

Feed

The easiest way to feed your chickens a balanced diet is from a pellet and mixed grain mix, available from most bulk produce stores or pet food stores. However, different aged hens will need different foods. Chicks up to 8 weeks old will require an easily digestible "chick starter" feed – basically smaller pellets. "Pullet grower" feed will get your chicks up to laying age, and then a pellet/ mash /grain mix is suitable for hens that are laying.

Chickens will very happily eat a wide variety of leftovers, including fruit, vegetables, breads and cereals. They can also eat meat, and they love cat food. Include shell grit and eggshells to boost their calcium levels (to help them produce strong eggshells). But don’t feed them potato peelings, citrus fruit, or avocado, and too much lettuce can give your chooks diarrhoea, so go easy. Give them the scraps in the morning, and clear away anything uneaten at nightfall to reduce the risk of rats.

Chickens also need access to plenty of fresh water – consider raising the water feeder off the ground to keep the water clean.