“I get chick fever”: Around twenty clucking hens live in Anna-Kaisa’s year-round backyard chicken coop

Four years ago, Anna-Kaisa Klemola dreamed of having a few summer hens for fresh eggs, but giving up the cluckers each autumn felt wrong. Now, around twenty hens, as well as roosters Bauser and Åke, live year-round in the chicken coop built in the outbuilding of her home. New chicks hatch annually.

Anna-Kaisa, what are chickens like as pets?

Chickens are beautiful birds, and they’re always active and making noise. They’re really curious—if a string is hanging from my clothes, they’ll come tug at it. Chickens are smart and learn quickly when you handle them and reward them with treats. I’d love to teach them tricks, but I don’t have the patience for it.

Chickens have their own personalities and temperaments, from gentle to spirited. Some are tamer and bolder than others. I like the fact that a chicken can decide for itself whether it wants to be held or not.

Anna-Kaisa wants to fully immerse herself in the breeding and welfare of chickens. She has received help and advice from other breeders and enthusiasts. She has bred this young Wyandotte bantam hen herself.

The chickens eat complete feed, surplus vegetables from the grocery store, and dandelion leaves and other greens collected from the garden. Feeding a bit over 20 chickens costs 70–100 euros per month.

What does taking care of a chicken coop require?

As with any animals, you need to learn about caring for chickens before getting them, but it’s not difficult to look after them. My coop has automatic water and feed dispensers and a timed outdoor gate closer, partly for neighborly harmony. Chickens can manage a night or two without care. If we’re away for several days, my mother-in-law acts as an emergency backup caretaker.

I tend to the chickens every evening and pick up the biggest droppings. When I’m heading out to the coop, I tell my family I’m going to have my chicken therapy. I often stay in the coop to sit and watch the chickens’ antics. It’s fun and relaxing. I usually narrate my activities to the chickens and chat about things like egg laying.

Roosters Bauser and Åke maintain the harmonious coexistence of the flock. The rooster has many tasks in the group. He clucks to the hens that treats are served for the ladies, and eats what’s left himself. Additionally, the rooster warns the hens of any dangers, finds a good nesting spot, and steps between fighting hens. Without a rooster, one hen might become a matriarch who bullies the others.

Of the grocery store surplus vegetables, the chickens especially enjoy grapes, apples, and blueberries. Hanging a whole head of cabbage from the ceiling offers them some challenging pecking and enjoyable pastime.

Initially, chicks stay indoors for a week and then move to a playhouse with a heat lamp. Many of the chicks go to other backyard chicken keepers. Chickens usually start laying eggs at the age of 5–6 months.

You raise the chicks yourself; what’s it like?

I cuddled and petted my first chickens from when they were little chicks, so they became very bold and tame. I hatched the eggs with a borrowed incubator and with the support of experienced enthusiasts, because I wanted to take care of the chicks myself from the very beginning.

I spend quite a bit on eggs to hatch, because I get chick fever every spring. It’s fun to hatch chickens of many different breeds. My dream is to have an old barn that would have space for an endless number of chickens of various breeds.

Silverudd Blue chickens are black, bluish, or speckled. They lay eggs in various shades of green.

All the eggs from the backyard coop are for the owners’ use. Bantam Wyandottes lay beige eggs, and Marans hens dark brown eggs.

Anna-Kaisa’s love for chickens is evident in her tattoos. On her upper arm, she has immortalized rooster Jari Kukkonen and hen Anneli. The bantam Wyandotte is one of the breeds she raises. They have a gentle temperament and are good layers. Their appearance and small size also appeal to her.

A year-round chicken coop was originally my partner’s idea. I’ve wondered if he’s ever regretted it, as nowadays he sighs when I turn on the incubator.

I get so excited waiting for the chicks to hatch that I lose sleep over it. Sometimes hatching is quick; other times, it’s painfully slow. If I see a hole in the egg, I would like to stay and watch the hatching rather than go to work.

Are there any unpleasant aspects to the hobby?

The hard part of this hobby is that half of the chicks are roosters. I’ve met people who can’t part with their roosters and have built rooster houses for them. I don’t have the facilities for that. Fortunately, there are people who take in roosters and raise them or utilize them in other ways.

I hatch plenty of chicks. I can’t keep all the hens, so choosing which ones to keep is sometimes hard. Luckily, they find new homes easily.

I have never cooked one of my own chickens. I keep some hens for as long as they live. When I need new variation in the flock, I find a new home for some hens that are still laying.

Trained as a dressmaker, Anna-Kaisa sews her hens made-to-measure mating saddles. The garment protects the hen’s plumage from the rooster’s treading. Sometimes the hen’s back is completely bare, and the garment allows feathers to regrow undisturbed under the fabric.

The chickens live in a hut in Anna-Kaisa’s yard that was previously used as storage and insulated for warmth. The coop is built according to regulations so that the chickens can use the outdoor enclosure year-round when the weather permits. In Finland, keeping chickens must be reported to the agricultural industry authorities. Information can be found on the Finnish Food Authority’s website.

What do the eggs from your own chickens taste like?

The eggs are melt-in-your-mouth soft in both taste and texture. There’s no sign of getting tired of them; rather, I’m addicted to them. Every morning, I must have fried or boiled eggs! In the summer, we get about ten eggs a day, and you can use eight or nine in an omelette roll. It’s like a savory Swiss roll that you can fill with anything you like.

I don’t benefit financially from the chickens, not enough to make a profit. A surprisingly large amount of money goes into keeping chickens. We’re never short of eggs, but it would be cheaper to buy them at the store.

I always eagerly await the moment when a chick grows up and starts laying eggs. It’s wonderful to find the first little egg in the nest.

Follow Anna-Kaisa on Instagram @anskuorvokki.