With a growing number of Brits (one million at last count) aspiring to embrace The Good Life and keep their own hens, ChickenGuard - the company behind the world’s most innovative automatic chicken coop door openers – has conducted research to highlight the true cost of establishing your very own small flock.
Following extensive desk research*, the award-winning ChickenGuard can reveal that the approximate initial outlay for keeping chickens (based on a flock of four) is over £1,000 (£1057.40)! A total which may come as a shock to those who assume chickens can pay for themselves with the income from eggs.
Ben Braithwaite (pictured), Founder of ChickenGuard, comments: “It’s a fact that chickens are a fantastic pet choice. They don’t take up too much room, they produce their own tasty eggs, they are fantastic with children and they each have a unique personality which can be mildly mesmerising.
“The welfare of chickens is of utmost importance to us so the purpose of our research was to reveal the true cost of owning chicken, as it can mount up. That said, in comparison to other pets such as the four-legged friend which cost £2,000 a year or more[1], chickens are a much more reasonable outlay.”
Those tempted by owning chickens can expect to pay £15 - £20 for each of their hens, although rare breeds can be considerably more. The next item on the shopping list is a coop, easily fitted with a ChickenGuard automatic door opener for maximum security and convenience. The girls will also need some space to eggcercise so allow another £65 for a chicken run. Add to that bedding at £20, plus another £80 for nest boxes, £54 on a heatlamp to keep them cosy and £77 on lighting, grit (£36), feed and supplements (£97) and something to dispense them from alongside fresh water (£80) plus a decent pair of wellies (£45), the cost of being a responsible owner soon rises.
After the initial outlay, chicken owners will also need to bear in mind ongoing costs for food and grit, as well as healthcare needs such as red mite spray (£34) to keep their hens on top form. And for those planning to welcome their feathered friends into their home, it might be worth picking up some chicken nappies (£22) to keep mess to a minimum.
Having shelled out on everything needed to keep the girls happily laying, the last thing wanted for them is to fall fowl of a sneaky fox. That’s precisely why ChickenGuard founder Ben created the first automated chicken coop door opener ten years ago: “Today, ChickenGuard offers a variety of automatic chicken coop door openers and doors to benefit chicken owners across the world by:
- Providing reassurance that their chickens are safe and secure from night predators,
- Giving extra time to sleep in, as the coop door can be set to let chickens out in the morning and back in the evening at the appropriate times, and
- The opportunity to have stress-free weekends and holidays as the timer and light sensor functions ensure the hens are self-sufficient.”
ChickenGuard has worked closely with customers, taking their feedback on board and incorporating it into various iterations of the product range. Currently, this includes the Standard, Premium and Extreme automated chicken door openers, the world’s first self-locking door and Combi Kits which combine smart automated door openers with either the self-locking door for extra protection or the classic door with oak wooden runners.
All ChickenGuard units are made in the UK, at the company’s headquarters in Cambridge. This enables the business to maintain stringent quality standards, reliable shipping methods and a high level of customer service.
For more information about ChickenGuard visit www.chickenguard.co.uk
