Janice Hahn doesn’t do the chicken dance, but she sure sings their praises.

Janice has a fledgling business - Hahn’s Hen Hatchery – that supplies live chicks to North Island residents.

“I discovered a few years ago in COVID it was very difficult to find certain breeds and types of chickens on the North Island or even on Vancouver Island,” Janice said.

She discovered a woman in the Abbotsford area that will direct-ship baby chicks to her by airplane. 

The chicks are 90 to 100 per cent females and there is a rooster return policy for those who do not want roosters or cannot have them due to municipal bylaws.

Janice’s new source will create a lot of variety for the North Island ranging from heritage breeds to specialty and ornamental chickens, and make it a little more fun for kids, and backyard enthusiasts.

Over Easter, her pastel-coloured eggs were a huge hit with children and grown-ups alike.

Hahn’s Hen Hatchery, located in Nimpkish Heights, will offer direct sales. Orders will be placed once a month starting in the Spring.

Janice is well-known on the North Island as owner of Visions Learning Centre: Salon & Spa where she honed the skills of future hairdressers.

She has called Nimpkish Heights home for about 30 years. “I’ve had chickens about four years now and I discovered the joy of having chickens as therapy, and just for the eggs,” she explained, adding the birds have a lot more personality than she was expecting.

“They are so happy to see you, just like a dog in the morning, but if you work all day, it is super easy for them to just go and do their chicken business and you don’t have to worry about them. It’s like a cat that way.”

Chickens are cheaper as well.

A hen costs anywhere from $12 for a specialty layer, to $60 and up for exotic ones.

“I have 35 hens, varying ages, including Americanas that lay blue eggs, and Australorps that hold the world record of eggs per year from a heritage breed - which is up to 360 under the right conditions,” she said. 

“I get between 250 to 300.”

Janice sells some of her eggs and always has enough for friends and family.

Of course, she keeps enough for her own needs.

Another bonus of owning chickens is that they will eat everything.

“They’ll finish up your table scraps, your spaghetti, and whatever you have that is left over. For getting rid of waste, they are fabulous,” she said. 

“They’re great little gardeners. Sometimes they’re a little too diligent – they’ll eat your peas for you and a few other things - your strawberries, your oregano,” Janice laughed.

Chickens also get rid of bugs.

“I find that now in my garden, I don’t have as many slugs which is really kind of nice to have up here.”

They do well in winter on the North Island.

“You don’t have to have anything special for them as long as they have enough friends to cuddle up and snuggle up (with) at night.”

Janice says chickens’ most influential use is as therapy.

“When you work all the time and you have a lot of anxiety when you come home, there’s nothing more fun than sitting there with your chickens,” she said. 

“They’ll come and visit you on your deck. They’ll see what you are doing, and you can sit there and hold them. My little ones watch tv with me. They love cartoons, they don’t like the commercials.”

For people that are a little bit older and don’t want the responsibility of caring for a dog, chickens are a great option. “I didn’t realize there was so much joy in having chickens. It’s actually fabulous. Now I need the North Island to experience what I’m experiencing.”

For more information on Hahn’s Hen Hatchery visit www.hahns-hens.ca.