WE'RE COCK-A-HOOP FOR HEN COOPS

Nearly three quarters of a million people own a chicken coop, a rise of 80 per cent in three years, the British Hen Welfare Trust has revealed.

The boom in growing fruit and vegetables has, for 700,000 people, spilled over into keeping hens.

One shed supplier, Navigation Distribution of Halifax, says sales have more than doubled in three years.

And as demand for coops booms, supermarkets are cashing in with their own ranges.

At Tesco, sales have soared by 180 per cent in three years during the fall-out from the credit crunch.

The fun of keeping hens and the prospect of freshly-laid eggs for breakfast after a short stroll to the end of the garden has become more appealing than ever.

Brian Mott, of dried pet food supplier Nature’s Grub, said: “The latest breed of chicken keepers is willing to spend a little bit more if it means finding the right product for their birds’ needs.


“It would appear that we are seeing a return to years ago when it was quite usual to keep half-a-dozen chickens in the back yard.

“Over the past few years more Britons have started growing their own fruit and vegetables and the next step in consumers’ return to ‘The Good Life’ seems to be having their own eggs.”

The fad follows a boom in rabbits as pets. Seventy per cent more people have rabbits compared with three years ago, according to the RSPCA.

The UK pet accessories industry is worth about £1billion a year, according to AMA business analysts.

Tesco buyer Clodagh Corbett said: “The surge in demand for chickens and coops shows how keeping hens has become a hobby for many. Keeping rabbits is more popular than ever too.”