If you are building or have built your own chicken house, it is so important that it meets the needs of your chickens to enable them to be happy and contented, staying in fine physical shape. Here are some important facts you should take into consideration.

(1) – You must make sure your chicken house is predator-proof from all sides. Make sure you have the correct size of wire mesh protecting all openings. 15mm square is good, preventing predators from reaching inside the house.

(2) – The area surrounding your chicken house also needs protection. You need wire mesh fencing with the base buried at least 30cm below ground level. This will especially help against rats that will easily be drawn towards your chickens’ droppings and it will help prevent foxes and other predators from burrowing into the chickens’ area.

(3) – Make sure your chickens have roosting poles as this is where they sleep and provide enough room so that they’re not crowded too close together.

(4) – Your chicken house will need a waterer and feeder, and you will need to place a nest box per 4 or 5 birds in a dark corner. This helps to encourage the chickens to lay eggs.

(5) – To enable easy removal of your chickens’ droppings, put a removable plastic tray underneath the roosting poles.

(6) – Ventilation is important. Your chicken house will need good ventilation, but make sure there is no direct flow of air. Although chickens can cope with cold weather, you must ensure they are kept out of any direct wind.

If you are even thinking about erecting your own chicken house and are interested in a new up-to-date, step-by-step guide on how to build one, click here How To Erect A Chicken House For a guide on raising and caring for your very own free range chicks, click here Caring For Baby Chicks

Sorry about the sound but it was raining and my bird kept tweeting :p.

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