And here's how to do it right

Getting into chicken: More and more hobby chicken keepers

Colorful plumage: It's not just your own fresh breakfast egg that makes these clever animals so popular.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com - September)

The trend towards self-sufficiency has spread to breakfast eggs: The number of hobby chicken keepers is steadily increasing. Having a chicken in your own garden is practical - but it's not allowed everywhere. And every animal has its own personality. Are you also attracted by the splendor of feathers? We'll show you what to look out for!

A few years ago, Inge and Klaus discovered their love of the countryside and moved from the city to Lower Austria. Here they are happy with their dogs - and now also with their chickens: the feathered ladies and gentlemen are rescued animals, once discarded by egg sellers. Inge and Klaus allow them to live until the end - even if they no longer lay eggs.

Every hen and every cockerel has its own name here, from Agatha to Fridolina and Calimero: "For us, they are now part of the family, without them we would be missing something," says Inge.

"It's not just about knowing where the egg comes from - it also never gets boring with the animals," she says, "each one has its own personality." And like Inge and Klaus, more and more Austrians are discovering their love of poultry.