Coops provide a comfortable lair for your hens to feel safe and relaxed. Roosts and nesting boxes are usually up off the ground because in the wild, these types of birds would look for safety in trees and bushes – these elevated areas help mimic their natural behavior.
Chickens need a coup even if you had your heart set on a sedan:
Having the right chicken coup is an integral part of keeping your flock happy and healthy. Your coup will offer your hens a place to 1) relax and feel safe 2) an area to sleep at night 3) a zone not accessible to predators and 4) a different area for your birds to retreat to if they need to take a break from another member of their flock.
Do your breed research:
Bird keeping, of any kind, is a big responsibility. Doing your due diligence on the specific needs of your breed, before starting your plan of animal husbandry, will pay in dividends to the wellbeing of your flock and to your sanity. The type, size and number number of coops you will need depends on many factors including, but not limited to, the number of birds, their size, their breed, and how much outdoor or free range space you can provide in additional to their indoor accommodations.
Enough space inside and out:
Make sure to have enough roosting space and nesting space. Most of the time chickens do a good job of organizing themselves but if you are having a high turn-over or if you are growing your flock at significant rate, it is important to make sure you have enough roosting space at the right height to avoid fighting and squabbles that might hurt the chickens and give cause for concern. Larger birds tend to roost higher and tend to be higher in the pecking order. Smaller hens need perches lower to the ground. Again, you’ll want to make sure you are providing the right accommodations for your birds based on their needs. Check out our blog on setting up free-range chicken garden areas for lots of helpful information in letting your chicken roam and mix with your plants.
If you are getting a smaller coup that you can’t walk into, having a pull out tray for easy cleaning will help your birds stay healthy and save your back and knees.
Add perches, as necessary.
Our coops come with a perch, but you may need to add more perches or adjust the height of your perches depending on the sizes and numbers of your friendly flock. You will want to research and determine how big your roosts should be, and how much space you should allow for each chicken. In general they need less space in winter when they roost closer together and a little more in summer, when it is warmer.
Happy, clean coups equals happy chickens!
While we cannot advise on how to raise your animals, we are more than happy to answer your product questions! You can also find our entire category of chicken coops here. Good luck and we hope you find success and joy in raising and keeping happy healthy birds!
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