The Chicken Coop Basics!

If you would prefer not to have a plastic chicken coop for cost, repair-ability reasons or  because you want to be traditional- wooden houses are the answer! Wooden coops have a huge variety of shapes, sizes and features. Below are some suggestions of what domestic keepers should look out for when buying.

- Perches should all be at the same height within the coop, remember hens have a fierce pecking order and they will all try and fight for the top perch.

- Its up to you whether you think you will need a run or not. It depends how often you are around to let the hens out into the garden.

- At least some of the run should be in shade, to make sure there is a dry area and to offer some protection for your hens from harsh sun.

- The nesting box should have breathing holes up high to keep the inside well ventilated, there should be one box for at least every three birds which should be around 30cm square and 8-10 inches deep to provide a comfortable sitting of straw.

- Some coops provide a door between coop and run, this may be of use in the winter to keep your hens warm.

-An extra door or liftable roof is needed for cleaning the coop and collecting the eggs.

- Many modern wooden houses have slidable droppings trays underneath the perches for easy cleaning.

- If your coop does have a run, remember unless you have decided to put chippings in there you should move it around to prevent your hens living in poor conditions.

- when I had a wooden coop I copied Omlet's idea off a 'fox-proof run' by securing chicken wire to the ground among the outside of the coop to stop foxes from digging inside.

-Perches should be about 5cm wide with rounded edges for large fowl

-3x3 feet in coop size is suitable for 3-4 birds despite being marketed for up to 6. Remember overcrowding can lead to feather-picking, egg-eating and respiratory problems.