Hobby farming as a new garden trend

Fresh eggs from happy hens in your own garden on the breakfast table – and organic at that – is something truly special. No wonder hobby farming is becoming increasingly attractive to garden owners. Keeping chickens in urban residential areas fosters a greater connection to nature, and children learn how to care for animals, even if they are farm animals.

Chickens are easy to care for, making them a promising project even for newcomers to hobby farming. However, you do need a bit of space: each chicken should have eight to twelve square meters of outdoor run in its enclosure, which can be enclosed with poultry netting.

Of course, the poultry also need a sturdy shelter to protect them from bad weather. One to two square meters of space in the chicken coop is sufficient for three to five birds. The chicken coop should be equipped with a roosting bar and a nesting box. Those who don't want to build the chicken coop themselves can find numerous models and all the necessary accessories, such as feeders and waterers, online, in specialist shops, or in agricultural supply stores.

Control systems that automatically regulate the opening and closing of chicken coop doors based on both time and daylight are very practical. This is not only convenient but can also help avoid disputes with neighbors if the rooster's crowing on weekends causes irritation. The coop should therefore be well-insulated, not only to keep out the frost in winter. In this country, there are numerous court rulings regarding the disturbance caused by crowing roosters in residential areas. In some places, there are even timetables dictating when and how loudly a rooster may crow and when he must be locked in the coop, which should be as soundproof as possible. There are even court rulings concerning "lunch breaks" on weekends. As a rule of thumb: no "cock-a-doodle-doo" should be heard between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. the following morning. What the owner of the henhouse thinks about such regulations is not recorded.

Anyone who likes to live peacefully with their neighbors should therefore coordinate with residents within earshot before planning a project, as the prospect of eggs from healthy and happy chickens in the neighbor's garden is said to have already worked wonders…