We plan on keeping chickens because we would love to give them a good home. The eggs aren't really important to us. Your comment was very helpful, thank youI think it's a little complicated to define difficult without a reference point. Difficult compared to what...? I've only been keeping chickens for 4 about months, so I'll tell you what i did and am doing and hope it helps....I'll give you my honest opinion.
I had 3 chickens which I bought from a local farmer aged 17 weeks (£12 each) and then found a local event was asking for homes for some retired industrial birds. I have plenty of space for more than 3, so took 7.
Initial thoughts:
These birds are underweight, and don't have any(many) feathers. They literally looked like prepared table birds from a supermarket, but had skipped the abattoir and were plucked, but alive.
It's important to appreciate the conditions they've been in to know how to best help them.
The first few days was an education of what is food and what is space. The new girls didn't recongnise layers pellets as something they could eat. They also had never been in daylight before. They moved around very little, and were a lot more still than the other chickens I have. I kept them in the coup for a while. They didn't venture into the run for 3-4 days. I didn't force them to leave the coup.
They also can't eat a variety of food e.g. grains, corn, porridge - for starters they didn't recognise grain as food - and they can't take the variety as they've never had anything else other than chick crumbs.
I kept them inside the coup, and separated them from my other 3 girls. They can't free-range as they would've wandered off with no hope of ever finding them. They have no concept of space or danger, and fight/flight reflex is severely limited/underdeveloped.
Putting 2 chickens in an a4-sheet-of-paper-size wire cage for 18 months with artificial light on 24 hours a day stops the natural behaviours chickens exhibit.
After a week of separation it was time to introduce everyone together. There was a natural pecking order squabble lasting an hour or so, but no one was injured... phew. They still peck at each other to reinforce the order, but it's not malicious feather-pulling pecking.
I think my existing girls excitement at food arriving taught the rescue girls that layers pellets are edible. It only took 2 days for them to try and then continue to eat regular pellets.
Another week, and I found they came towards me when I took food to them, and I knew I could let them free-range. They were both delighted and puzzled to feel grass under their feet. They even started to peck and scratch and eat the grass. Having never seen grass before in their life, I was truly amazed.
They don't roost at night-time. They all piled into 1 nest box and seemed quite happy... 7 chickens do fit in a 2ft square space, and they seemed to enjoy the ensuing scrum, or tolerate it-they squeezed themselves together... They've spread round the coup now, rather than being on top of each other, and I've not got round to teaching them that a perch is better than sitting on the straw.
1 poorly girl died from what I think was a yeast infection, all the others were doing very well. Their feathers are growing back, they scratch the grass for bugs&food, they run away when they're scared, they run towards me when I bring treats.
One girl got a large cut because of too much 'roo-ing' and I'm working through that in the last 24 hours.
2 haven't grown their feathers back yet. They're quite exposed, and my adolescent rooster probably fell off and ripped one of them. I've ordered them a saddle... they arrive tomorrow & I'm pretty excited
They're a lot more flighty than the other girls, are not used to being handled, and by the end of the day have crops the size of a cricket ball (I'm wondering if I should limit their food intake...?)
The saddest part, other than the one that died, is that eggs literally fall out of them. Despite their hard life, they're bred to be layers. The day I got them I had 7 eggs which continued every day until I broke the industrial cycle and they are more naturally laying now. They are starting to purposefully go somewhere to lay an egg, but still I'll find one on the steps, on the drive, under a bush or on the lawn. I don't think they know what laying eggs is all about, but they're starting to understand, and I think they realise they're able to control and be comfortable with the process. However: odd shape, large, wrinkly, thin shells, no shells, speckledy, white, brown, calcified,... I've had them all in the last 2 months.
Are they difficult? No. they're very hardy animals, and after 2 weeks initially more intensive care, and a further couple of weeks attention, everyone is treated exactly the same.
You have to honestly ask yourself why you want to keep chickens. "I'd love fresh Eggs" was my original thought.
I now want to keep happy, healthy, natural birds who thrive and survive with me feeding them and keeping them watered. If they lay eggs (it's hard to stop them) what a rewarding delight. I soon decided I didn't want to be an extension of their egg production past, and am greatful for every egg they give me. My first thought now, and what keeps me going is, to see them behaving like a chicken should. They're natural animals, no longer part of a food production line. If they're enjoying life, I'll be happy.
(I should have specified - how difficult are they to keep as opposed to non-battery hens.)
Hmmm, we were hoping to free range them but may have to change that now.
