Keeping the hens on the balcony at first glance seems like a strange event. But if you thoroughly examine this issue, it turns out that chickens in such conditions can live long enough and regularly to please their masters with fresh eggs. Learn from the article how to organize this process correctly.
Is it possible
Keeping chickens on the balcony requires some preparation and cost. You will have to solve the following questions:
- accommodation;
- lighting;
- insulation;
- heating;
- nutrition.
Familiarize yourself with the nuances of keeping an apartment and a house.
The financial part is the cost of buying cells, lighting and heating devices and, in fact, layers. If these efforts do not frighten you, then keeping chickens in a city apartment is quite possible.
Choice of chickens
For keeping hens on the balcony, it is best to choose high-productive and low-noise breeds that do not require a lot of free space.
Important! The optimal age for young stock to be kept on the balcony is 1 month. Until the start of egg production, the chicken will be able to fully get used to the habitat.
Leggorn
These birds have the unique ability to easily adapt to any conditions. They are not afraid of cramped cells and the lack of walks in the fresh air. Advantages of layers of this breed - early puberty (leggorny begin to rush already in 5 months) and high productivity (for a year the chicken gives about 260-300 eggs). 
Learn more about the breeding features of the Leggorn chickens.
Hisex Brown
Representatives of this breed, due to their calm nature, can become ideal inhabitants of balcony cages. They are phlegmatic and do not require much attention.
The advantage of these hens in high productivity: for the year the chicken Haysex Brown can produce up to 350 eggs. These birds attract not only the quantity but also the quality of the eggs - they are very large, the weight of one egg can reach 70 grams. 
Read about the nuances of keeping Hisex Brown chickens.
Kuchinsky breed
These chickens are real "quiet". They are unpretentious in food and almost do not make loud noises. Although their productivity compared with the two previous species leaves much to be desired - only 180-200 eggs per year. 
Read more about the breed of chickens Kuchinsky Jubilee.
Content
The productivity of the hens depends not only on the breed, but also on the diet and conditions of their detention. In order to achieve high results, it is necessary to provide the birds of the balcony with good living conditions.
Balcony glazing
Chickens do not tolerate cold, so before you start laying layers, be sure to take care of the glazing of the balcony. Air temperature in winter should not fall below 5 ° C, negative values are not allowed.
Important! Birds can easily freeze even with a slight frost, because in cramped cages they are unable to move freely.
Lighting
To preserve egg production, chickens should receive a sufficient amount of sunlight - at least 16-17 hours per day. To compensate for its shortage in the winter, you can use special lamps, the acquisition of which must be taken care of in advance. At the same time, it is important not to overheat chickens in summer - they must be protected from direct sunlight.
Cell
Cages for keeping chickens on the balcony can be made independently or purchased ready-made with feeders and drinkers. The second option is more profitable, since the cost of self-made cells is significant.
We advise you to learn how to keep chickens in cages and whether you can make a cage yourself.
Cages for layers can be wooden or metal. It is better to give preference to the metal, since under such a cage there is a special tray for collecting litter. This facilitates the process of cleaning for chickens. 
Preference is given to metal cages with a pallet. Cells are stacked on top of each other, which saves usable space on the balcony.
Did you know? In South America, there is a hen of exotic breed Araucana, which carries blue eggs.
Nutrition
A full diet will help the feathered residents of the balcony to maintain their productivity for a long time and avoid diseases. Feeding the hens:
- grain (wheat, barley, millet);
- root vegetables (carrots, beets);
- mineral additives (meat and bone and / or fish meal, shell).
Useful tips
Chickens on your balcony should not cause discomfort to other tenants. Therefore:
- organize daily cell cleaning to avoid unpleasant odors;
- take care of noise insulation, or start some layers without a rooster, so there will be much less noise;
- Protect chickens from visits of wild birds: for this, glaze the balcony and do not forget about the mosquito net.
Chickens on the balcony - a good solution for those who care about their health and seeks to eat organic food. Even in the conditions of a city apartment, the hens can feel quite comfortable if they are responsible for their placement.
Reviews
And from this point of view, the rooster is just a source of noise, with all that it implies ... He starts yelling much earlier than the "proper" time. But the problems with dirt or stink from two chickens, I do not recall.
