The Chicken Coop

The flock will eventually need a larger home than their brooder box to live in. My husband and I decided to build our own custom coop. There is a couple things to consider when building, or buying, your chicken's new home including size, nesting boxes, roosts, and the chicken run.

The Size

The size of your coop depends largely on the amount of chickens you have and whether or not you plan to eventually let your chickens hatch some of their eggs. We made ours tall and narrow whereas others are short and wide. We started with a dozen chickens, knowing that we would likely end up with a couple roosters. We built our coop large enough to fit about 15 chickens, knowing that we eventually will let our hens raise baby chicks.

The Nesting Box

The general rule for nesting boxes is 1 box for every 3 to 4 chickens. We used hay for bedding to start with, but we switched to wood chips after a while. Which my chickens seem to like more than the hay. We placed a golf ball in each nest to help our chickens know where to lay the eggs and to encourage them to sit on the eggs. We also included a slanted piece of plywood to help limit droppings landing on the eggs.

The Roost

The roost is where your chickens will sleep because its their instinct to keep of the ground at night to avoid predators. Most chickens prefer a natural look and feel to their perches, so we took one of the skinny trees we had to remove to set up the run and turned them into perches. This is, of course, not a requirement. some use long skinny pieces of lumber. We placed three in the coop and one outside.

The Run

The chicken run is the fenced in section that allows your chickens to stretch their legs. Most runs have an enclosed roof to protect from predators such as hawks. The size of the run depends on whether you plan to free-range or not. If you plan on keeping the chickens in their enclosure, I recommend a larger chicken run to allow for movement. another thing to consider including is sand, or some form of sand pit for the chickens' dust bath. Chickens use the loose sand or dust to cleanse themselves and keep mites off of them. Keeping Marigolds close to the coop can also help with this plus the leaves and petals are good for them.

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Have Fun with It!

Whether your buying or building, its important to have these things in mind, but these things are easy to customize to your needs! Paint it your favorite color, make it cute, add personal touches. Eventually, my husband and I plan on placing our handprints of the nesting door and adding those of any kids that come along later on. Check out The Diner Carr on Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest!