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Burt man's cracking plan
04.11.08
A BURT man has come up
with a cracking plan to help Inishowen families beat
the credit crunch. Shane Houston is encouraging
people to keep their own chickens and has developed
a deluxe range of hen houses, called
Chic - Hens,
that will look great in any garden.
As a mechanical engineer who made his living making
scaled models for the construction industry over the
last ten years, his main occupation has slowed
considerably due to the property downturn.
As a result, the father-of-three has found time to
combine his model-making skills with his hen-keeping
hobby and has come up with Chic - Hens. |
Shane, his wife Mary
and their children have kept up to 20 hens at their
home in Irishtown, Burt, for several years. He now
hopes his spin-off business will result in a growing
number of Inishowen households keeping their own
hens and enjoying nutritious free range eggs, fresh
from the garden almost every day.
"Keeping chickens is a great past-time for any age
group, from children to older people. |
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Once you're set up,
it's manageable for most people to do and it's not
expensive," said Buncrana-born Shane. He explained
that once a Chic - Hen house is in-situ, all a new
hen keeper needs to do is feed and water the
chickens daily and clean their house and compound
every two weeks. As well as what they eke out from
the grass, hens feed on grain and some household
scraps such as stale bread and cooked potatoes.
Shane is currently developing a range of
Chic - Hens
products, from small houses suitable for housing two
to three hens in a small back garden, to larger
structures that can comfortably house up to eight
chickens in a larger space. The prices will range
from approximately €350 to €550.
The attractive hen houses are made from good quality
timber and can be painted any colour the customer
chooses. The roofs are removable for easy cleaning
and egg collection.
Shane says people don't have to worry about their
feathered friends scratching through their flower
beds or getting killed by foxes at night.
"The hens can be totally contained and fenced off
from the rest of the garden. Hens naturally go into
their houses at night so you just have to close the
door until morning to keep them safe." Next year,
Shane also hopes to supply the hens along with the
houses, to offer customers a complete package. |
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