Posts Tagged ‘coops’

Building Ideal Chicken Coops For Your Backyard

Before building chicken coops, it is important to keep a few things in mind. First off, give your chickens some room. More room to spread their wings makes them feel comfortable and, well, normal. Since stress will adversely affect their tendency to lay eggs, make sure your chickens are happy and comfortable.

Providing more space also helps them feel normal by encouraging their instinct to peck at the ground. Spreading some feed in the morning can also help encourage the natural pecking instinct.

Hens like security and comfort, so be certain your nesting box provides both. There is no one right way to build a nesting box; they change to suit local needs. Just be sure there is enough space for all your chickens. While some chickens are comfortable sharing a nest, there are always those who need their own private space. All hens will search out the most secluded, quiet and secure place to lay their eggs, so keep the nesting space away from the food area.

Straw or hay is an ideal nesting material. For mature chickens, you can use fluffy sawdust if straw is not available. For chicks, though, wood chips can be dangerous. They make it hard for the young chicks to distinguish between their bedding and their food, sometimes resulting in premature death from eating too much wood.

Then there is your own ease of use. The eggs must be easy to collect not only because you will be doing it quite often, but also because it means that you do not unduly disturb the chickens and their nests. By avoiding such disturbance you keep your chickens happy and laying. Maybe you have a box nest, with a few adjoining nesting areas. A hinged lid can work will for this type of nest. If you leave your nesting area open, make sure that you can easily reach into all the corners.

Protect your nesting area from the elements and from predators. Cover them with a good, sturdy roof that can repel water and wind. In colder climates, you might want to provide a heat lamp for your chickens. You can provide a lot of security with the proper design, but remember that placing nests and the coop itself in less trafficked areas is also a good idea.

Now you are ready to go out and build your own coop. Safe secure chicken coops are the secret to happy chickens and happy chickens are the secret to getting more eggs.