When building chicken pens there is plenty of room for innovation. Before starting however, ensure that the local authorities allow you to keep chickens in your area. There may be building bylaws which will need to be complied with.
When considering the size of the coop, take into account the number of birds you need to house. If you intend to have a large open yard and have breeds which panic easily and fly well, you may need to incorporate a netting roof over the pen. The bottom of the coop should be let into the ground so that predators will find it impossible to dig their way into the yard. Another option is to install netting over the floor.
A coop needs to be large enough for the number of chickens. Some breeds will cope with being in close proximity to each other but others will be stressed. There is more competition for food, water and nest boxes in a small pen and chickens will not thrive so well if over-crowded. Some breeds are more timid than others and can be intimidated by more aggressive birds.
A chicken pen needs a covered area. Four hens will be able to share a nest box. If you live in a very cold area, it is important that the birds can get away from the cold. Some birds suffer from frost-bitten combs during winter. Adequate ventilation is important.
Build your pen in a dry area. If the yard does become muddy, the shed should remain dry. Install roosts where the chickens can perch at night. It is relatively easy to build a pen which can be moved to fresh ground occasionally. Once chickens are used to their pen, they can be allowed out to free-range. This will keep them happy and they quickly learn to return to the coop at night.
In areas with plenty of room, a hen-house can form the center of a larger circle. Build several yards which radiate out from the house. When one yard is eaten out, the chickens can be moved on to the next yard. As their old yard will also have plenty of fowl droppings it can be planted to vegetables. Later in the year, the birds can be returned to clean up the remaining vegetables and re-fertilize the area.
Cheap timber for your hen-house can be found in salvage or lumber yards. You may find offcuts of chicken netting too. Discarded carpet can be tacked on the roof and walls as insulation. By using straw or wood shavings on the floor, you will have valuable compost for the garden when it is time to clean out the hen-house. Nests can be lined with wood shavings or straw too.
It is important to have a good supply of fresh water. There are automatic watering systems available as well as feeding hoppers. With these, there will be little likelihood of the birds running out of food or water. If you'd rather buy a ready-to-go outfit, a chicken tractor provides a small covered area and a small yard. The pen is covered and but open to the ground. The whole outfit is movable. You will have plenty of options when building chicken pens.
When considering the size of the coop, take into account the number of birds you need to house. If you intend to have a large open yard and have breeds which panic easily and fly well, you may need to incorporate a netting roof over the pen. The bottom of the coop should be let into the ground so that predators will find it impossible to dig their way into the yard. Another option is to install netting over the floor.
A coop needs to be large enough for the number of chickens. Some breeds will cope with being in close proximity to each other but others will be stressed. There is more competition for food, water and nest boxes in a small pen and chickens will not thrive so well if over-crowded. Some breeds are more timid than others and can be intimidated by more aggressive birds.
A chicken pen needs a covered area. Four hens will be able to share a nest box. If you live in a very cold area, it is important that the birds can get away from the cold. Some birds suffer from frost-bitten combs during winter. Adequate ventilation is important.
Build your pen in a dry area. If the yard does become muddy, the shed should remain dry. Install roosts where the chickens can perch at night. It is relatively easy to build a pen which can be moved to fresh ground occasionally. Once chickens are used to their pen, they can be allowed out to free-range. This will keep them happy and they quickly learn to return to the coop at night.
In areas with plenty of room, a hen-house can form the center of a larger circle. Build several yards which radiate out from the house. When one yard is eaten out, the chickens can be moved on to the next yard. As their old yard will also have plenty of fowl droppings it can be planted to vegetables. Later in the year, the birds can be returned to clean up the remaining vegetables and re-fertilize the area.
Cheap timber for your hen-house can be found in salvage or lumber yards. You may find offcuts of chicken netting too. Discarded carpet can be tacked on the roof and walls as insulation. By using straw or wood shavings on the floor, you will have valuable compost for the garden when it is time to clean out the hen-house. Nests can be lined with wood shavings or straw too.
It is important to have a good supply of fresh water. There are automatic watering systems available as well as feeding hoppers. With these, there will be little likelihood of the birds running out of food or water. If you'd rather buy a ready-to-go outfit, a chicken tractor provides a small covered area and a small yard. The pen is covered and but open to the ground. The whole outfit is movable. You will have plenty of options when building chicken pens.
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