If you Google chicken coops, you will find there are many ways of setting up a chicken coop since they can be made out anything from an old car to a trashcan to a shed.
Some people have gotten very creative with their henhouse. Whatever kind of coop you decide on, whether rural or urban, here are some basics that every hen house should have:
1) Good ventilation. Throughout the year, your ladies will need good ventilation. In the heat of the summer, don't cook your chickens. Make sure their coop is kept as cool and airy as possible. In the winter, they still need good ventilation. If they are cooped up too tight, the humidity makes them damp and the coldness freezes them.
2) Feeder. Waste is the biggest problem with most feeders. If you put a feeder on the ground the chickens will not only toss dirt and shavings into it, but they will scratch out and waste all of the feed. Find a way of either hanging it from a chain/rope or setting it on top of something about 6 inches or so. You can buy a commercial feeder or make your own.
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| "Feed us!" |
3) Water. Keep fresh water available at all times. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to kill algae and bacteria. Put the water on top of blocks or some other stable stand to keep them from pooping in it or filling it with shavings. (Depending on your winters, you may need a warmer to keep the water from freezing)
4) Adequate shelter from the elements. Keep those chickens out of the heat, the cold, the wind, etc. It should be durable and not drafty.
5) Nest box. There should be about 1-2 nest boxes for every 5 chickens you have. Most likely they will pick their favorite and everyone will try and lay in the same one, no matter how many chickens you have. Depending on what size your chickens are, your box can be 10"x10" for bantams, up to about 15" x 18" for very large birds. Nest boxes can be purchased or made from just about anything. I suggest making sure there is a perch in front of the entrance so that their feet are clean when they hop in.
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| Five hens using a nestbox...at the same time. |
6) Run. The run is simply a safe area where the chickens can get outside to scratch, dance, and dustbathe. Add some wood ashes and/or a bit of DE (diatomaceous earth) to their dust bath area to keep them from getting mites. Even if your chickens free range, it is a good idea to have an enclosed run that they can use if you have to lock them up.
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| We found a well-built child's playhouse on Craigslist and added a small run. The whole area is surrounded by electric netting. |
7) Roost. Chickens love to roost, and it keeps their feathers and feet clean and dry out of the mess on the floor.
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| Rebecca demonstrating proper roosting technique. |
8) Security. One of the biggest problems chicken owners face is predators. Depending on your location, these could include foxes, racoons, opossums, snakes, hawks, eagles, owls, and don't forget neighborhood dogs and cats! Your coop will need to be able to secure your ladies from whatever nature has planned. Here are some tips to securing your henhouse:
- chicken wire is useless - it can be easily penetrated, and raccoons can reach through to pull off delectable parts of your chickens like the wings, feet, or heads. Use hardware cloth and secure it with screws, not staples.
- Use solar or other lighting at night to deter the wildlife. Even those cheap color changing one LED lights seem to work well
- If you can afford it, get some electric netting to surround the coop. However, don't rely on it too heavily - we have a solar charger, and it will discharge into the grass, snow, or side of the coop - whatever it touches.
- Use shiny metallic pinwheels, whirligigs, and/or spinners to keep the hawks and eagles away.
- If you have a dog, encourage him to mark around the coop and run to deter predators.
