Liberate

Accommodation:
You should find a space in the garden big enough for the chickens to wander around. It’ll be the nicest for them if it also has some bushes, or trees, plants they can walk through or under, and soil that will have plenty of bugs and worms in.(our chickens absolutely love the banana trees, and walk between them a fair bit of the day). You should note that they will probably end up tearing up or pecking all the grass in the area, and eating any weeds or edible plants. This area will need to be fenced off to protect the chickens from cats and dogs as well as to protect your other plants from the chickens. (In our case our poor rocket leaves…)
The chickens will need a dry little chicken house which can protect them from the wind/rain/sun, where they can sleep and lay eggs. It should have a few possible places for the chickens to rest in/on. Remember they like to perch, so having a few horizontal sticks/poles should be good. And having maybe some chicken sized boxes tilted to the side at different heights. The whole place should be spread with hay/sawdust, which needs to be changed every week.

Don’t be alarmed if the chickens will prefer to squeeze all together in one tiny place to sleep in, especially at the beginning after being rescued, they are used to that, and they are probably quite scared of big open spaces because they don’t really know what to do with them. It’ll take them a while and they’ll get used to it. (Our happy liberated chickens prefer to all sleep together cosily in one long box that’s inside their house). If you have a space in the garden to put some sand or soil that will stay dry, the chickens will use that to have dirtbaths in to clean themselves.

Menu:
Chickens are creatures of routine. They get up at sunrise and go to sleep at sunset. They like to be fed at regular times, either once or twice a day (The amount of food should depend on how many times they are fed). Those of us who aren’t early risers need to take that into account, since the chickens won’t get used to a routine of waking up later because we do. Feeding the chickens at irregular times will make them stressed.

If we don’t get up early enough to feed them, we will usually find a chicken waiting around for food near the back door. She will then run back when food’s about to be given, but will always forget where she came out of, and will get stressed every time that the food is inside and she’s outside. We then have to lift the netting, and try to show her where she can go in from, and try and explain she can’t go in through the little holes in the net…

The basic food for the chickens should be pellets or mash which can be bought at any pet food store and supermarkets. On the back of the packet you can read the amounts recommended for your chickens. Pellets can be given in a dish or spread on the ground to encourage the chickens to forage and peck the soil. The mash should be given in a dish, since it can’t be pecked off the ground. Pellets or mash should be the main food.

Chickens can also eat anything that humans eat. So it’s a good way of getting rid of leftovers (pasta, curry, toast, cooked and uncooked veggies, fruit- but think again if you eat orange or onion peel before giving it to them…). The ratio of pellets/mash can also depend on how many leftovers there are. So a bowl of pasta, (one of our chooks’ favorites) a piece of toast and a handful of pellets could be enough for 2 chickens for the day. Use your common sense as well as your leftovers from the fridge.

Chickens also like grains and seeds (our chickens eat ‘dove mix’ quite happily) and they need to have grit in their diet. A way to do that is to crunch up their egg shells and put it back in their food. It’s important to make the eggshells unrecognizable so the chooks don’t start eating their own eggs.

Water! A bowl or container of fresh water should be always available for the chooks. Change the water daily.

Entertainment:
Chickens are very friendly and curious creatures. They hang out and peck the ground most of the day, have dirtbaths, or laze around in the sunshine. They tend to be quite mean to each other sometimes, but it’s the nature of their pecking order. Plentiful food and a set routine, as well as plenty of space will work to minimize “chicken bullying”.

Needless to say, rescued chickens especially need a safe and loving home where they can “just” be chickens and live their own lives.