Do you want hens in your back yard?

Hen-keeping is more popular than ever, and that it can be fun, as well as a good way of getting a regular supply of great eggs.

Free-range, organic eggs can cost around 50c each, so if each hen lays five eggs a week, you could save €2.50 x 52 weeks = €105 per year per hen. If you get four hens, that’s over €400 per year.

Of course there are costs – here’s what you need for 4 hens:

1. Small shed / hen-house that can be locked at night (to keep out foxes) – cost €100 – €500 as a one-off set up cost. Needs perches, plus a nesting box where hen lays eggs.
2. Small run that can be moved around (again, fox-proof)
3. Bedding – sawdust for floor, perhaps some straw – cost around €50 per year
4. Correct food – layers pellets from agricultural merchant – cost around €100 per year
5. Hens! Cost up to €30 each depending on the type

You can see that it isn’t something that you would do as a money making exercise, but it can be a hobby that pays for itself, and it can be great fun.

The Irish Society of Poultry Fanciers Website has lots more information.