![]() If you buy a coop that comes with plastic or metal roosts, throw them away and replace them with solid wood. The wood needs to be smooth so no one gets their feet poked and untreated to avoid toxic chemicals. Material: For the material, be sure to use wood as it is durable and easy to grip. It's a lesser-known trick to make coop cleaning a lot easier. If you are wondering what the sheet is under the roosts on the right, that is a poop hammock. Having one or more inside the coop is an absolute must. It's good to have one or more (depending on your flock size) in the run to give them a daytime chill spot. If you have a heavier breed or even an injured bird, you could add a lower roost for easy access.īelow are a couple of examples of roosts. If you have more space and bantams, consider adding an even higher roost for them. Since chickens eliminate quite a bit while they are roosting, avoid placing roosts over nesting boxes, ventilation points, feeders, and waterers. Consider placing dropping boards below the roosts to catch all their 'presents'. A good rule of thumb is to have roosts be 2-3 feet above the ground. Placement: Chickens instinctively like to be high up to avoid predators. Roosts, also called perches, are what chickens like to sleep on at night and occasionally hang out on during the day. If you have a smaller coop with no human-sized door, you'll need an easy-access cleaning door. If you have a human-sized door, then you will have no problem. The easier it is to access it, the easier and faster it will be for you to clean it. ![]() We'll give you the full low-down on that in Chapter 3.īeing able to access the inside of the coop to clean is something you need to consider. The type of bedding you use will greatly affect the rate at which the bedding needs to be changed. It is important to keep the coop clean to prevent disease and other nastiness. Since they sleep in the coop, this leads to a messy home for them and more cleaning for you. Surprisingly enough when they are sleeping, they poop. ![]() Coop AccessibilityĬhickens are messy animals. Keep reading to learn how to make cleaning your chicken coop easier. Ventilation can only do so much in preventing disease and health issues. When you crack your coop windows, this is an open invitation to predators, so make sure they are covered with hardware cloth to keep those losers out. If a coop is not properly ventilated, it will lead to respiratory issues for your chickens, cause materials in your coop to deteriorate quickly, and frankly smell like your worst nightmare.īelow is an example of effective ventilation. Ventilation is super important as it keeps the air fresh in a coop, preventing the build-up of moisture. Let's take a deeper dive into creating ventilation for your coop. If you live in an area that is warm year-round, you may want to consider making your coop with only one or two solid walls.Īs long as you have great ventilation in your coop, summers will be a breeze. You can also freeze herbs, such as mint, with treats and put them in their water bowls to keep them cool and busy. Somewhere between those two extremes will be a suitable location.Ĭhickens need ample sun (for egg production) and access to shade, in order to stay cool. Share This Image On Your Site Karen, your next-door neighbor, would absolutely speak to the manager about that. You won't want it so far away that they are basically on your neighbor's property. You won't want it too close to your house, otherwise, your mother-in-law will come over and ask why your house smells. The next decision to make is where to put your coop. With a raised coop, the run goes all the way underneath the coop, which is a nice added level of protection from dive bomber predators and hot, sunny days. ![]() Just make sure you keep an eye out for flying predators e.g. Having a covered run is ideal since it protects your flock from predators, but if you are balling on a budget, you can go without. Please include attribution to with this graphic. ![]()
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