Setting up and caring for your backyard chicken coop (2024)

East West home is best. You bought your backyard chickens. Now they need a house of their own or a chicken coop that they can call home. Coops provide shelter from the weather and its extreme elements and protection from predators. There are several considerations when securing a home for your birds, and we'll explore them here.

How much space does a chicken need? A chicken needs about 4 square meters per bird in the garden. This means that a 10x10 chicken coop can hold 25 birds.

Remember, they also need about 10-12 inches per bird to roost at night. Wood is recommended for resting so that they have a good grip and do not slip. Finally, you will want to have enough space to have suitable nest boxes for laying eggs. Figure of approximately 4 hens per box for laying eggs.

Build or buy?

Your resource bank of time, tools and talent will help you decide whether you want to build your own chicken coop or buy a ready-made or easy-to-assemble chicken coop. But the first thing you should do is check with your city ordinance or homeowners association for any regulations regarding structures in your backyard. If there are no rules, you're done. If there are rules, make sure you follow them.

Construction gives you the satisfaction of creating a coop that meets your specifications and knowing that you are putting your own capital into the home of your beautiful bird. However, you should also consider whether you have the time, resources, skills, and financial leeway. Lumber prices have skyrocketed over the past two years and building materials now cost more than ever before. If you're not sure you have the right tools or time to build your own chicken coop, buying a chicken coop is a smart alternative.

There are several stores where you can buy a brand new chicken coop. Most farm stores have several hutch options to choose from, and if they can't be assembled right away, they can do so for a minimal fee. Some lumberyards also build chicken coops to sell, as do 4-H and FFA members who are looking for construction and marketing experience if you have time to look around. In addition, we have provided a list of places where you can buy chicken coops, sourced fromwww.hobbyfarm.com:

• AmishCoops.com:www.amishcoops.com
• Carolina Coops:www.carolinacoops.com
• CC ONLY:www.cconly.com
• The Chicken Coop Co.:www.chickencoopcompany.com
• Kip salon:www.chickensaloon.com
• EZ Fit size:www.ezfitsheds.com
• Lancaster chicken coops:www.lancasterchickencoops.com
• My pet chicken:www.mypetchicken.com
• Omelet:www.omlet.us
• Quail production:www.eggcartn.com
• Chicken coops with click closure:www.snaplockchickencoops.com
• Urban Coop Co.:www.urbancoopcompany.com

Although you may find used chicken coops for sale at a local market, you should be careful when purchasing a used chicken coop for fear oftransmission of diseases. Unless you trust the seller to completely clean and disinfect the coop before transporting it to your property, you are probably better off purchasing a new coop to keep diseases out of your chickens early.

Keep it clean

Chickens can be messy, but are not as messy as ducks or other birds. Depending on what flooring you have in your chicken coop will determine how often you need to clean out the chicken coop. If it is an unpaved floor, "pick up" any wet or unsightly dirt weekly; otherwise it will decompose in the soil. If you have a wood or plastic floor with chips, you will want to 'pick up' the dirt and chips and re-lay them weekly.

During your weekly cleaning, you will want to check the comfort bar and remove any fecal matter. Also make sure the nest boxes are free of dirt, cracked egg debris or shells. Provide them with fresh bedding if necessary.

Many backyard bird lovers recommend giving the yard a thorough cleaning once or twice a year – once before you get new chicks in the spring and again in the fall. A thorough cleaning may include rinsing or power washing, using a safe cleaner or disinfectant, and ensuring all boxes, bars, doors, and hinges are in good condition.

Eating out or going out?

There seems to be mixed opinions about whether or not to keep food and water in the garden. Many say the farm is their home and chickens deserve to have their food and water readily available; however, the farm should be used primarily for lying down (sleeping) and laying. The chickens must remain outside for the rest of the day and therefore the feed and water must also remain outside while running. The exception to this is during bad weather, when the water can freeze, or during rain, when the food can become wet and moldy.

By keeping the food and water in the coop, you encourage the chickens into the coop, which leads to a bigger mess inside that you have to clean up. The food could also attract mice and rats, both of which carry diseases. Water can easily spill, creating a mess and increasing cleanup and bedding costs. Chickens usually sleep at night, so if you lock them in their coop to protect them from predators, they will sleep and not eat.

You have your chickens. You gave them a cozy home and now you keep it clean. Give your chickens the loving home they deserve to keep them safe from predators and protected from the elements. They will thank you.

For more educational articles on caring for your backyard chickens, visithttps://backyardboost.co.