Chicken coops plans

Volume 13 of MAKE Magazine has hit the newstands, and it includes an article I wrote about raising backyard laying hens, Backyard Hens…that link takes you directly to the article in the MAKE Digital Edition – read it online!

Here’s some additional resources and links to supplement the article.

Equipment and Supplies (including coops)

California Wine Country Chicken Chat – and …

You’re ready for your new flock of hens: you have the coop, feeder and waterer and the chicks are on order. But what do you use for litter on the floor of the chicken coop? Pine shavings, hay, straw, or what? How often do you have to clean it out? And, for urban and suburban homesteaders especially, is it going to smell?

The deep litter method is one sustainable method of managing chicken …

You can change feed to meat more quickly and more efficiently on a broiler chicken than anything else you could raise. It takes from six to eight weeks and usually doesn’t take but a few pounds of feed. If you were trying to raise a hog or a cow or most anything else it would require more expense: naturally it would be larger in size but for the most part a broiler chicken is not expensive to …

Chicks, no kidding, come in a box via the US Postal Service. This box held, with ample room, 26 chicks from the Murray McMurray Hatchery. You can also buy chicks from your local farm store, like Agway, but we’ve found that there is a limited selection there, and the chicks are expensive. However, the hatcheries …

1) Chickens are social animals and they have a very complex structure to their hierarchy. A chick that is by itself will stress- you should always try to buy chicks in multiples- any number is better than a lone chick.

2) It’s not necessary to have access to grass, however just bear in mind that they’ll probably need their toenails trimmed every so often if they can’t wear theirs down …

Chickens are not hard to care for – just make sure they have plenty of room to scratch around in, a steady supply of food and a comfortable place to roost and lay eggs. They are friendly and sociable creatures; each having their own personalities, and you can even buy rescue chickens from battery farms.

Taking on chickens is a big responsibility. They can live for up to 10 years and will …

Chickens are very easy to raise in a small amount of space and can provide you with a nice source of wholesome food as well. Their needs are few: shelter, room to scratch around, a nest box, and food and water. Before you acquire your first flock you need to prepare their quarters.

Housing for Chickens

If you expect to get eggs, you have to confine your chickens at night where you want …

Chicken is one of the most common types of bird found in the tropical countries after crows and sparrows. It is also one of the most popular domesticated animals in the world. The population of chicken is more than any bird. It is the primary source of food, in terms of meat and eggs both. There are various breeds of chicken hat are found in different geographic locations. Primarily chickens can …

Chickens have got to be the easiest, most forgiving, creatures for a small farm to manage. While any book you pick up on chickens would have you believe that they can suffer from any number of perfectly horrible parasites and problems, the fact is… there’s nothing to them. They’ll call the …

Chickens very often don’t particularly enjoy the snow or rain, but they do need fresh air and exercise. Unless it is blowing up a storm, if given the choice, they will normally prefer to venture outside (even if for only a little while) rather than stay ‘cooped’ up inside for the whole day. In many respects you can for the most part trust your chickens to take care of themselves. Many a …