There was a time when keeping chickens was purely the lot of farmers and rural communities - but the increasing appetite for producing our own healthy food is persuading keen amateur gardeners to spread their wings.
Chickens usually produce around five eggs a week and the prospect of free range and hormone-free eggs and meat (not to mention their benefits in weed and pest control and their droppings for fertiliser) make them an option worth considering in complementing your Grow Your Own adventures.
However, this is not a venture to be taken lightly. You will need the right environment to rear the animals to attain the best results, and there are some crucial points to take into account. The Edible Garden Show will have experts on hand to discuss the benefits and the considerations that need to be made before putting poultry production up the pecking order.
The Poultry Club of Great Britain, a registered charity, stages The National Poultry Show at Stoneleigh Park and has useful information on its website at
www.poultryclub.org
