These key ingredients will gain you success in raising backyard chickens.
Shelter--make sure the chikens can get to cover in case of bad weather
Protection--from predators
Space--make sure your chickens have adequate room
Lighting--try putting a window in
Ventilation--make sure the ammonia from the chicken droppings can air out
Cleaning--make sure you clean the coop on a regular basis
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Chicken Anatomy 101
Ever want to know what makes up a chicken......................................................
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Where Do Chickens Sleep?
CHICKEN ROOSTS
A 2" by 4" or 2" by 2" board works nicely as a roost. You can also use a tree branch measuring between 3" to 6." I used a 2 x 4 and rounded off the edges with a circular saw, and these are working like a champ. This step is not necessary, but I've found that they are able to grip onto the roost better when it's slightly rounded. A view of my roost and walkway leading to the roost is pictured below.
I made sure to place the roosts where the droppings are not in my way when I enter the coop so I don't have to clean it off my shoes after being inside. Chickens seem to like roosting higher in the coop at night, so I positioned mine about 4 feet off the ground. I then constructed a walkway leading up to the roost. It's basically an 8" wide board which angles up from the floor to the roost with some make shift "steps" nailed on and spaced every 6" or so - something they can use to "grip" onto as they walk up.Depending on the type of coop you build, you may also want to consider positioning the roosts where you can easily clean up the droppings.
A 2" by 4" or 2" by 2" board works nicely as a roost. You can also use a tree branch measuring between 3" to 6." I used a 2 x 4 and rounded off the edges with a circular saw, and these are working like a champ. This step is not necessary, but I've found that they are able to grip onto the roost better when it's slightly rounded. A view of my roost and walkway leading to the roost is pictured below.
I made sure to place the roosts where the droppings are not in my way when I enter the coop so I don't have to clean it off my shoes after being inside. Chickens seem to like roosting higher in the coop at night, so I positioned mine about 4 feet off the ground. I then constructed a walkway leading up to the roost. It's basically an 8" wide board which angles up from the floor to the roost with some make shift "steps" nailed on and spaced every 6" or so - something they can use to "grip" onto as they walk up.Depending on the type of coop you build, you may also want to consider positioning the roosts where you can easily clean up the droppings.
Chicken Coop Materials
CHICKEN COOP MATERIALS
Chicken coops can be made from almost anything - revamping an old shed or camping trailer, using scrap lumber, PVC pipes, 50 gallon barrels, tarps, kits, and the list goes on. Wood is the most commonly used material for coop building. Depending on the size of your coop, buying new lumber can get expensive.
I was able to find a couple of businesses which sell used or scrap lumber and this worked nicely for my 4'x 8' coop. I even found some used windows and a couple sets of unused shingle there. If you decide to build your coop with used lumber, be prepared to pull out some nails, cut out some broken pieces, and to be creative with what you find. It takes extra time and TLC to build a coop using "recycled" or used wood - but I found the extra time well worth it in how much money I saved!
CHICKEN NEST BOXES
The suggested size for chicken nest boxes is 15" wide, 15" high and 11 1/8" (see picture for example). This can vary to a certain extent. My nest boxes are about 2" smaller than this and work just fine. You can fill your boxes with straw or place some type of padding down on the bottom so the eggs won't crack when they lay. I noticed that they tend to kick and scratch a lot of straw out of the boxes so I stapled a piece of padding onto the bottom.
I started off with 8 chickens and made a nest box for each chicken. It turns out they all used the same 2 nest boxes for laying eggs! I've even seen 3 chickens in the same nest box at the same time - therefore, you don't need to make too many boxes. They tend to gravitate toward the same box. If you have a big flock - you'll need to make more. In some of the links I've provided, there are some excellent pictures of nest boxes, diagrams, and "how-to" instructions for building nest boxes. A view of a couple of my nest boxes is pictured above.
Chicken coops can be made from almost anything - revamping an old shed or camping trailer, using scrap lumber, PVC pipes, 50 gallon barrels, tarps, kits, and the list goes on. Wood is the most commonly used material for coop building. Depending on the size of your coop, buying new lumber can get expensive.
I was able to find a couple of businesses which sell used or scrap lumber and this worked nicely for my 4'x 8' coop. I even found some used windows and a couple sets of unused shingle there. If you decide to build your coop with used lumber, be prepared to pull out some nails, cut out some broken pieces, and to be creative with what you find. It takes extra time and TLC to build a coop using "recycled" or used wood - but I found the extra time well worth it in how much money I saved!
The suggested size for chicken nest boxes is 15" wide, 15" high and 11 1/8" (see picture for example). This can vary to a certain extent. My nest boxes are about 2" smaller than this and work just fine. You can fill your boxes with straw or place some type of padding down on the bottom so the eggs won't crack when they lay. I noticed that they tend to kick and scratch a lot of straw out of the boxes so I stapled a piece of padding onto the bottom.
I started off with 8 chickens and made a nest box for each chicken. It turns out they all used the same 2 nest boxes for laying eggs! I've even seen 3 chickens in the same nest box at the same time - therefore, you don't need to make too many boxes. They tend to gravitate toward the same box. If you have a big flock - you'll need to make more. In some of the links I've provided, there are some excellent pictures of nest boxes, diagrams, and "how-to" instructions for building nest boxes. A view of a couple of my nest boxes is pictured above.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
backyard chickens
Raising chickens is a fun and rewarding backyard hobby. There's nothing better than waking up to a happy flock of hens. You can raise chickens anywhere you have a little space, whether it's an urban city backyard or a spacious country ranch. With help, you'll discover that establishing a sustainable poultry hobby is a lot easier than you might think. I'll teach you absolutely everything you need to know, including the best hatcheries to buy baby chicks; what to feed your pet chickens; and how to build a simple chicken coop.
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