If you feel drawn to producing more of your own food then you might be interested in keeping hens. It has now been twelve years since we took possession of five chooks and, as they aged, we acquired many more. We have hardly bought a supermarket egg since.  As well as their generosity in allowing us their eggs, chooks are amongst the  friendliest, most practical small farm animals to keep in suburbia. They are undemanding, self-contained and always cheerful.  You can keep up to seven or so in an average-sized suburban garden and they are well worth the minimal effort taken to manage them.  They offer so much and ask for so little in return, these generous creatures make a great addition to your life.  Here are the top ten reasons you should think about keeping some:

1. Eggs, eggs, eggs.  You will NEVER tire of collecting them each day.

2. Friendly presence around your yard - don't bite, scratch or lose their temper.

3. Eat snails, slugs and various insects that destroy your vegetables

4 Great with children

5. You are secure in the knowledge that your eggs are from happy chooks fed a natural diet

6. Very easy to maintain

7. Undemanding and self-contained

8. Can be taught simple tricks - so I've been told

9. Are self-contained and do not seek attention

10. Did I mention the eggs?

Written by Claire Troup