Chicken coops plans

Posts Tagged ‘chicken coop’

Chicken HouseEveryday it becomes more difficult to find quality poultry products. It seems consumers never know what they are getting or where it came from. This concern has led many people to consider maintaining a chicken house of their own. If this is something you are thinking about, www.horizonstructures.com can help!

Here at www.horizonstructures.com, a chicken house is easy to order and easy to use; the coops are delivered pre-assembled and ready for immediate service. They protect your hens from predators and provide the space they require to live the healthy life needed for wholesome eggs or meat. Our chicken houses have specially designed features for bird safety and comfort. They have everything you need, so if you’re just getting started with chickens you don’t have to worry about overlooking something. You simply select the chicken house model that best suits the size of your flock and your budget.

Each chicken house is built to order at our facility by Amish carpenters. The pride and care they take in their work is a rare commodity today. We offer a wide selection of chicken houses, and every customer gets a truly “one of a kind” coop by choosing their siding, colors, and options.

This ability to customize makes each chicken house unique. Our chicken houses come in over eight different styles with some hard-to-find standard features and available options.

Interior fixtures are designed with chicken’s roosting and nesting habits in mind.Windows and vents let in plenty of natural light and fresh air while also keeping predators at bay.The nest box design allows easy access for egg collecting.The materials used in our chicken house construction are both durable and attractive.Some of our many options and upgrades include electric, wheels, and feeders.

Here is what one of our customers is saying…

“Hello! I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know happy I am with out new chicken coop! We ordered the 4 x 6 board and batten coop on Jan. 8 and it was here on Jan. 18! I was completely (pleasantly) surprised when the driver called us on Saturday afternoon to say he was in South Carolina with it and would be here the next morning. I’ve ordered clothing that took longer to get here! And he was right on time too! So thank you very much for the excellent service and wonderful craftsmanship from me, my husband and all our little chickies-who love their new home! =) “- Jenn T. in Arnoldsville, GA

Visit www.horizonstructures.com today for more information about getting your own chicken house!

Chicken Breeds – The most beautiful and bountiful egg laying chickens of all breeds of chicken. See bantams, Phoenixes, and polish chickens!

There are many breeds of chickens from tiny to large, flashy to plain, and with a variety of colors in their eggs to choose from. You might be interested in some adorable bantam chickens, or maybe some regal Auracana hens for your coop.

Courtesy of all smiles

Fascinating Kinds of Chickens

Whether you are considering adding different types of chickens to your chicken coop or you have simply decided that it is time to start Raising your own Chickens

, there are going to be lots of considerations for you to make, but few are going to be as important as considering the various breeds of chicken. There are a lot of beautiful chickens out there, ranging from the familiar white Leghorn to the Japanese Phoenix, the Amber Star and the Anacona chicken, so take a look below and consider which chicken breeds might be right for you.

Silkie Bantam

A miniature sized chicken that comes in four colors, White, Black, Blue and Buff. These little ones are child friendly, good Mothers and are among the most popular entries at poultry shows for good reason. Gorgeous headdress meets hysterical expression- who can resist? Silkie Bantams are known for their nearly black skin and have an unusual fifth toe.

Courtesy of suavehouse113

Rhode Island Red

When it comes to chicken breeds, the Rhode Island Red chickens are among the most recognizable, and with good reason. They are fairly heavy birds and they come in both white and red.

They were once very much a staple of the farmyard, though their breed has declined with the small farmer. Their brown eggs are considered extra large and the breed itself is known for good layers. If you are looking for a bird that will do well in your climate, the Rhode Island chicken is a good bet. It deals well with cold, it is very docile and it is comfortable in confinement, making it a fine chicken for urban or rural areas.

Minorcans

Dramatically colored and considered to be a little fussy, Minorcans are still popular when it comes to considering backyard chickens. They are also known as Red Faced Black Chickens, and their faces, wattles and large combs are indeed bright red in comparison with their handsome black body. They are very good layers, producing four large white eggs times a week, and they are known to do fairly well in confinement, though their Mediterranean history makes them ill-suited for life in colder climes.

White Leghorn

Courtesy of just chaos

Did you know that Leghorn is actually pronounced Leggern? These chickens are thought to be super layers, and in ideal conditions can produce a large white egg nearly every day.

They have something of a reputation for being fussy and temperamental birds, but overall, they do quite well as backyard chickens and they are among the most popular of the chicken breeds for just that reason. They are also known for being quite intelligent, and this, combined with their medium size makes them great for people who are just starting out with keeping backyard chickens.

Silkie

It is important to remember that not all chickens out there are meant to be great layers; sometimes, they’re just meant to be pretty. The Silkie is one of the most recognizable of the ornamental chicken breeds and you can recognize they by their gleaming white feathers, the cascade of feathers on the top of their heads and their fluffy beard. They do bear confinement well, and though they cannot tolerate cold, they are known to be very personable. You wouldn’t necessarily keep this bird for laying purposes; it produces one small white egg a week. They have beautifully full crests and feathered feet, making them a crowd favorite.

Polish

Not all ornamental chickens are poor layers. Take a look at the Polish chicken, which is definitely an ornamental, but still lays two eggs a week, though they are bantams and therefore quite tiny!

These gorgeous creatures arrived on the scene in White Crested Black, Buff Laced, Silver Laced, Golden, Blue, White and Splash colors.

These lovely chickens have an enormous fluffy crest of feathers and their comb is notably shaped like a V. Though they are quite friendly and sweet, you may find that their reactions are a little strange due to the fact that their vision is limited.

They are smaller in terms of size and tend to weigh in between four and five pounds; this can make them a good target for bullying when it comes to barnyard chickens. They are not meant for winter climes, though they do well in confinement.

Phoenix

When you are after a chicken that is well aware of its own importance and beauty, look no further than the Japanese Phoenix. These birds come from an ancient breed of Japanese chicken and their high maintenance attitude reflects this. They are poor layers, producing something like one egg a week, though these eggs are quite lovely with their cream tint.

Though they are docile with enough handling, they are not necessarily friendly. Their most notable trait is their long, gorgeous tail feathers, which do require some special grooming.

Dominique

With these heavy birds, you’ll find that you have a winner whether you are looking for a layer or a meat bird. We’re not exactly sure what chicken breeds gave us this sturdy and willing bird, but it has produced extremely friendly birds that can lay upwards of four large brown eggs a week and who take on cold weather like champs.

They are not necessarily a great choice unless they have some space to roam, however; they do their best when they are allowed to range freely. You will find that these intelligent birds are great if you have the space.

Sebright

Sebrights are beautiful and dependable egg layers. A favorite among flock owners as they are sweet tempered, hardy keepers and have gorgeous feather patterns. Sebright bantams come in Silver and Golden shades.

Naked Neck Turkan

Despite the name, this bird is not a cross between a turkey and a chicken, though the naked neck might fool you! The most notable trait of this breed is its red naked neck, which came about due to being bred for easy plucking.

You’ll find that this means that this chicken breed is considered dual purpose, in that they are good meat birds as well as being good layers. They are fair layers who come up with two medium light brown eggs a week. They are extremely friendly and docile, and they are very tamable. Despite their naked necks, they do quite well in cold weather, and they are good chickens when it comes to confinement.

There are lots of great chicken breeds out there, so make sure that you take some time and really consider which ones are going to be right for you, and then order up in the early springtime and start Raising Baby Chicks before they are all gone!

More Chicken Breeds

Want to Meet the Popular Bantam Chicken Breeds?

Of all Types of Chickens, the Bantam Chicken Breeds are enormously popular with the city chicken crowd as they are small enough to easily grace a small plot in a city side yard. These kinds of chickens are quite amusing and friendly pets. Meet the Bantam chickens and start in the city!

Amazon.com Widgets

Chicken broiler and egg production are the most progressive animal enterprises in the Philippines today. The poultry industry in fact began as a backyard enterprise but has shifted to the formation of very large integrated contract farming operations. The growth of tile poultry industry in the Philippines has indeed been impressive but its problems including inefficient management and the prevalence of many destructive poultry diseases and parasites cannot be ignored. This manual provides technology and management know-how for poultry raising which we hope present poultry raisers and prospective poultry producers may find useful in effectively managing their poultry farms and also help them realize substantial financial returns from their enterprises in this period of high production cost inputs.

Chicken Breeds/Stock to Raise

The following Call be used as a guide in selecting the foundation stock to

* Stock should only be purchased from a reliable hatchery or franchised dealer where the parent stocks are well-housed and well-managed.
* The kind of stock to buy depends upon the purpose for which it is going to be raised.
* Chicks should be tree from diseases and deformities.
* Chicks should have uniform size and color and in the case of broiler chicks should not be less than 33 grams at day-old.
* For a start, a popular strain raised in the community can be selected as it is an indication of the bird’s good performance under existing farm conditions.
* For broilers, choose those that have high livability and are fast growers.
* For layers, choose those that have good egg size, high egg production and long productive

Download here for the complete instruction manual.

More Tips in Caring for Chicks, Chickens and Layers

Care of birds and fowl in hot weather – Birds and fowls are more suited to cold than to hot weather. They lay more eggs in cold weather because they are not stressed. Fowls do not perspire but they pant for breath and need much drinking water in hot weather..

Care of chicks – The first week in newly hatched chicks is important. It is here that the health of the fowl depends, to give it good price. These first seven days is 15% of the growth and life of a growing chick. In the natural way, the mother hen teaches the chicks, as they go about together…

Chicken – Instead of providing more ventilation or cooling devices in chicken coops during hot weather, give more fat in their meals instead of pure corn so as to cool their bodies. Chicken given fat gain weight more quickly than those given pure carbohydrates (corn) only…

Ammonia – toxic for chicks – Like children, growing chicks easily get infected with disease. In coops where they are reared, respiratory sicknesses are common when they are crowded and ventilation is poor. This is because of ammonia, a gas that is emitted by the decaying feces of the chicks…

Good layers – Layers will lay eggs regularly if they are kept away from noise and disturbances. The effect of noise and disturbances on 4,000 layers was studied by four scientists from the University of Zagreb, Yugoslavia. When a strong electric bell was sounded, the number of eggs laid was decreased…

Poor layers – Poor layers cost food and space, and so should be removed. The marks of a poor layer are: The comb is pale, dry and withdrawn at the top and below the throat. the eyes are dim. The hen is thin and inactive…

Gathering of eggs – Gather the eggs 3 times a day or more in hot weather. Eggs easily spoil in a warm surrounding. Put the eggs in a basket or container. Sort the eggs according to size…

Salt: increases egg laying – The sodium content of salt is necessary for egg laying. But this element is not provided in commercial feeds because it will increase the cost. To enable the hen to produce well, mix 200 gms of salt for every 2 sacks of feed…

Light for good egg laying – Light is important in the setting up of a coop for layers. It has much to do in the maturation of the growing layers and their capability to lay plenty…

Strong egg shells – According to studies in the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, a laying hen given Vitamin D when feed bears stronger egg shells than those not given Vitamin D. Several groups of layers were given different doses of Vitamin D3 (calciferol, derived from the fish liver oil)…

Uses of egg shells – According to researchers from Brent School, Baguio City, egg shells have certain uses that are not benefited from, such as: Fertilizer – egg shells contain calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur…

Feed for chicken – Watermelon rind. Researchers at UP Los Baños fed watermelon rind to chickens for 6 months. These were compared to chicken given ordinary commercial feed. They observed that commercial feeds can be replaced with watermelon rind up to 20%…

Soap powder for chicken – According to farmers with long experience in chicken raising, mixing powder soap with the feed increases the weight of the chicken more than does the adding of feed. This is because detergent aids in the process of digestion in the chicken, reduces fat, and suppresses some parasites in the intestinal tract…

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Chick: A hatchling
Capon: A castrated male used for meat. (How much could that yield?)
Pullet: A female chicken under one year old.
Hen: A female chicken over one year of age
Rooster: A male chicken over one year of age.

Raising Chickens for the first time can be intimidating. When I first called the Feed Shop, I was trying to sound like a pro. I asked, “Do you sell pullets?” “Yes”, the man replied. “Are they all females?” It’s been an uphill battle ever since.

Pullet parenthood is an much of an adventure as child rearing, only with more feces per pound of body weight. However, I’ve been reading quite a bit on poultry matters. (Yes, my coolness just turned over in its grave.) So if I am correct and I am quite certain I am not, here is how chicken rearin’ goes.

Go to your local feed store and purchase $10.00 worth of chicks and $50 worth of food and supplies. Don’t forget the water dispensers. Buying the metal ones, never plastic is always advised. I have yet to see a metal one.

Next, place the chicks somewhere sheltered, like a bedroom closet. Toss in some highly flammable straw or wood shavings and promptly dangle a glowing heat lamp just above them. Note to self: Update homeowner’s policy.

For the next several weeks feed them 3 lbs of food per day and remove 4 lbs of sh*t per day from the closet. Despite all logic the birds get bigger. As the adult feathers grow in be sure to clip one of their wings. That is one per bird, not just one wing total. If clipping is done late chicks will nest in your toilet. This is a bad thing.

Clipping can be accomplished by tossing your scissors and your body into the heaping mound of chicks, poop and straw. Grab a wiggling screeching bird from the bile pile. Restrain it with one hand. Stretch the wing out with your second hand. Clip off 50% of the wings outer ten feathers with your third hand.

As the birds grow adjust the heat light temperature down by one degree per day. No, this is not actually possible. That’s not my point. You start at 100 degrees for hatchlings then continue down by one degree per day until your bedroom is a minimum of 3 degrees cooler than the spring blizzard outside your window.

Once you have frozen your ear to your semi-cannibalistic down pillow and the chicks have grown their adult feathers, they can be moved outside to the coop. I estimate the initial closet rearing stage to have taken five years.

Before the move, experience the Joy of Wing Clipping one more time. Feather clipping never works the first time. No one knows why. Still, after all the hassle you probably don’t want them to fly the coop in under sixty seconds. Of course, if you’re like me, by this time you may be inclined to pack them each a lunch and leave a stack of Greyhound tickets by the open coop gate.

Regarding habitat construction: Hen houses and chicken coops are a competitive art form. There are a myriad of web sites showing off architectural designs from Chicken Chateaus to Bird Bordellos. The meticulous craftsmanship makes my own home look like – well – like a chicken coop.

Always fashionable, I went with a shabby chic motif for my coop. The nesting boxes are an eclectic mix of stolen milk crates affixed to the wall by anything in arms reach. As for the coop itself, there is a gift for tight chicken wire, which eludes me. Quite frankly, my first attempt at a coop looks like Dr. Seuss dropped a hit of acid, blasted some Jefferson Starship and rolled around on the wire with every Who in Whoville. I think I’ll keep it.

Inferior design aside, I ultimately learned a thing or two. The nesting boxes are supposed to be up off the ground. That is correct. For those of you keeping score you just spent two weeks cutting back the birds flight feathers only to hang their houses in the sky. It’s just sick.

Higher than the nest boxes, you are to build a roost. This is where the birds crap at night so they do not crap on your breakfast eggs. Of course the roost is usually OVER the nesting boxes, so whatever you do, don’t use those perforated plastic milk crates.

For young birds maintain a heat light in the hen house. Then on cooler nights an animal with a brain the size of an bulimic toe nail clipping will make the conscious decision to forgo your nest boxes, bypass the instinctual roost and leap into a tanning bed.

And finally there is the feed regime. I asked several experts and read up on feeding as well. Make sure to give your chickens, starter formula, mash, growth formula, start & grow, brood formula, grit, no grit, scraps, no scraps, goat placenta, nothing suggested on the internet, tetramyaicn, no antibiotics, medicated starter, non-medicated starter and never ever switch in-between.

I may not be Queen of the Coop yet, but I’m working on it. Though I am still a zoologist and I still know Birds 101. Here are two myths I can help with. First, you do not need a rooster to get eggs. Most folk, especially those who have never owned chickens, will advise you on chickens. Each will insist you need a rooster for a while to do his manly duties, then you can slip him in the pot. As appealing as this concept is, your pot is a separate issue.

Roosters are only needed to make fertile eggs. Hens are all that is needed to make breakfast eggs. Fertile eggs are just peachy if raising chicks was such a joy the first time you want to repeat the whole freakin’ process. In addition there is always the risk of breaking a fertilized egg open and finding a 50% formed chick fetus hitting your hot skillet. Yum! Years of therapy will follow.

To keep it straight in your mind consider this: You are going about your life. Suddenly massive balls of calcium start stacking up inside your abdomen. Are you going to hold on to them just because you have not had sex lately?

The second bird myth is totally unrelated so I thought I would mention it. Penguins occur in nature from the Equator on Southward. That is down to the Antarctica, not the Arctic! No, they do not hang out with Polar Bears who live in the Arctic. No, you did not see them when you worked in Alaska, in the Arctic. Those were puffins.

No, I am not sorry you look stupid to all those folks you told penguin tales to.
Yes, some penguin species even reside on the Galapagos Islands at the equator (Cold weather would kill them), not floating around on icebergs – and not in the Arctic! Yes, I realize my eggs are not all in one basket. Delusional, close-minded people who insist you need a rooster to fertilize your penguin eggs so polar bears won’t loose their food supply drove me crazy!

by: Nola L. Kelsey

Chick: A hatchling

Capon: A castrated male used for meat. (How much could that yield?)

Pullet: A female chicken under one year old.

Hen: A female chicken over one year of age

Rooster: A male chicken over one year of age.

Raising Chickens for the first time can be intimidating. When I first called the Feed Shop, I was trying to sound like a pro. I asked, “Do you sell pullets?” “Yes”, the man replied. “Are they all females?” Its been an uphill battle ever since.

Pullet parenthood is an much of an adventure as child rearing, only with more feces per pound of body weight. However, Ive been reading quite a bit on poultry matters. (Yes, my coolness just turned over in its grave.) So if I am correct and I am quite certain I am not, here is how chicken rearin goes.

Go to your local feed store and purchase $10.00 worth of chicks and $50 worth of food and supplies. Dont forget the water dispensers. Buying the metal ones, never plastic is always advised. I have yet to see a metal one.

Next, place the chicks somewhere sheltered, like a bedroom closet. Toss in some highly flammable straw or wood shavings and promptly dangle a glowing heat lamp just above them. Note to self: Update homeowners policy.

For the next several weeks feed them 3 lbs of food per day and remove 4 lbs of sh*t per day from the closet. Despite all logic the birds get bigger. As the adult feathers grow in be sure to clip one of their wings. That is one per bird, not just one wing total. If clipping is done late chicks will nest in your toilet. This is a bad thing.

Clipping can be accomplished by tossing your scissors and your body into the heaping mound of chicks, poop and straw. Grab a wiggling screeching bird from the bile pile. Restrain it with one hand. Stretch the wing out with your second hand. Clip off 50% of the wings outer ten feathers with your third hand.

As the birds grow adjust the heat light temperature down by one degree per day. No, this is not actually possible. Thats not my point. You start at 100 degrees for hatchlings then continue down by one degree per day until your bedroom is a minimum of 3 degrees cooler than the spring blizzard outside your window.

Once you have frozen your ear to your semi-cannibalistic down pillow and the chicks have grown their adult feathers, they can be moved outside to the coop. I estimate the initial closet rearing stage to have taken five years.

Before the move, experience the Joy of Wing Clipping one more time. Feather clipping never works the first time. No one knows why. Still, after all the hassle you probably dont want them to fly the coop in under sixty seconds. Of course, if youre like me, by this time you may be inclined to pack them each a lunch and leave a stack of Greyhound tickets by the open coop gate.

Regarding habitat construction: Hen houses and chicken coops are a competitive art form. There are a myriad of web sites showing off architectural designs from Chicken Chateaus to Bird Bordellos. The meticulous craftsmanship makes my own home look like well like a chicken coop.

Always fashionable, I went with a shabby chic motif for my coop. The nesting boxes are an eclectic mix of stolen milk crates affixed to the wall by anything in arms reach. As for the coop itself, there is a gift for tight chicken wire, which eludes me. Quite frankly, my first attempt at a coop looks like Dr. Seuss dropped a hit of acid, blasted some Jefferson Starship and rolled around on the wire with every Who in Whoville. I think Ill keep it.

Inferior design aside, I ultimately learned a thing or two. The nesting boxes are supposed to be up off the ground. That is correct. For those of you keeping score you just spent two weeks cutting back the birds flight feathers only to hang their houses in the sky. Its just sick.

Higher than the nest boxes, you are to build a roost. This is where the birds crap at night so they do not crap on your breakfast eggs. Of course the roost is usually OVER the nesting boxes, so whatever you do, dont use those perforated plastic milk crates.

For young birds maintain a heat light in the hen house. Then on cooler nights an animal with a brain the size of an bulimic toe nail clipping will make the conscious decision to forgo your nest boxes, bypass the instinctual roost and leap into a tanning bed.

And finally there is the feed regime. I asked several experts and read up on feeding as well. Make sure to give your chickens, starter formula, mash, growth formula, start & grow, brood formula, grit, no grit, scraps, no scraps, goat placenta, nothing suggested on the internet, tetramyaicn, no antibiotics, medicated starter, non-medicated starter and never ever switch in-between.

I may not be Queen of the Coop yet, but Im working on it. Though I am still a zoologist and I still know Birds 101. Here are two myths I can help with. First, you do not need a rooster to get eggs. Most folk, especially those who have never owned chickens, will advise you on chickens. Each will insist you need a rooster for a while to do his manly duties, then you can slip him in the pot. As appealing as this concept is, your pot is a separate issue.

Roosters are only needed to make fertile eggs. Hens are all that is needed to make breakfast eggs. Fertile eggs are just peachy if raising chicks was such a joy the first time you want to repeat the whole freakin process. In addition there is always the risk of breaking a fertilized egg open and finding a 50% formed chick fetus hitting your hot skillet. Yum! Years of therapy will follow.

To keep it straight in your mind consider this: You are going about your life. Suddenly massive balls of calcium start stacking up inside your abdomen. Are you going to hold on to them just because you have not had sex lately?

The second bird myth is totally unrelated so I thought I would mention it. Penguins occur in nature from the Equator on Southward. That is down to the Antarctica, not the Arctic! No, they do not hang out with Polar Bears who live in the Arctic. No, you did not see them when you worked in Alaska, in the Arctic. Those were puffins. No, I am not sorry you look stupid to all those folks you told penguin tales to.

Yes, some penguin species even reside on the Galapagos Islands at the equator (Cold weather would kill them), not floating around on icebergs – and not in the Arctic! Yes, I realize my eggs are not all in one basket. Delusional, close-minded people who insist you need a rooster to fertilize your penguin eggs so polar bears wont loose their food supply drove me crazy!

Woman prepares to fight for her chickens: Kent resident will speak to City Council about ban on poultry in small yards

By Bruce Rommel
Journal Reporter

KENT — If people can have a kennel in the backyard and one or two big barking dogs, what’s wrong with having a chicken coop and keeping a few hens?

That’s one of the questions Tami Jayne Jackson has for the Kent City Council.

Jackson plans to be at Tuesday night’s meeting, asking council members to consider changing the ordinance that bans livestock, poultry or fowl unless you have an extra-large home lot.

“Chickens don’t take up that much space,” said Jackson, whose six hens scratch around an enclosed pen in the backyard of her East Hill home.

So far, she’s won support from City Council President Deborah Ranniger, who notes that even in urban Seattle, people may legally keep chickens or rabbits in small backyards.

“If Seattle can do that, I don’t know why Kent can’t,” Ranniger said.

The councilwoman said she wants to ask the city’s planning staff to review the ordinance and come up with some options for review.

“I think there’s a lot of interest in keeping chickens or rabbits,” said Ranniger, who had a pet rabbit in the yard when her children were little.

Council members are scheduled to vote Tuesday on a list of land-use issues to be considered next year. Jackson wants codes involving animals added to the list.

She and her husband, Doug Grimes, have been notified by city code enforcement officers that the hens at their home at Southeast 283rd Street and 144th Avenue Southeast are in violation of codes.

They could be fined up to $500 per day by a hearing examiner as long as the chickens remain. But a code enforcement officer said the city isn’t taking any action until the City Council decides whether to review the issue.

Some cities allow poultry in smaller yards, while Kent requires a yard of 20,000 square feet or larger to keep poultry or livestock.

Jackson’s yard is about 12,000 square feet.

Seattle allows up to three chickens in any backyard. Angelina Shell of Seattle Tilth, an organization that promotes organic gardening, said “hundreds of people” in Seattle have urban chickens.

“A lot of yards in Seattle are about 3,000 square feet,” Shell said.

Jackson keeps hens for the fresh eggs and composts straw and manure from their pen for the garden.

“I don’t want roosters because they can crow all day and annoy the neighbors,” she said.

Keeping chickens at home.

We all learn to coddle day-old baby chicks: we keep them warm and protect them from floor drafts that might chill them. It’s easy to carrythis too far when the chickens get older. Chickens have sensitive lungs and need good air quality to thrive. If we shut up our chicken housestoo tightly, the houses will be dark, dank, and smelly, and the chickens will do poorly.

Since adult chickens are insulated by a heavy coat of feathers, trying to keep them warm is a waste of time, yet I get emails from people in Florida asking me if they need to use heat lamps on their adult hens in the wintertime! No, you don’t. And leave the windows openall winter, too, while you’re at it, even if you live in Canada.

I use open-front houses, and these work great. They’re airy and stay dry. A less-open house that I built doesn’t have the same kind of airflow andstays wet and nasty, even though I took its door off its hinges. Enclosed spaces are bad for chickens. Lots and lots of open window space is the key,even in winter.

I feel so strongly about this (and have been so appalled by the dark, airless chicken coop plans that are floating around), that I’ve republishedthe classic guide to open-front chicken houses, Fresh-Air Poultry Housesby Dr. Prince T. Woods. This is an oldie but a goodie. Read the sample chapter: it will convince you.

Paradoxically, while the issue of poultry housing is fairly complex, chicken coops themselves are quite simple.

My focus is always on chicken coops that are inexpensive and easy to build. I don’t like spending more than $200 on a coop for 50 chickens. These coops are extremely plain, and are often several years old before I get around to painting them. The price difference between such an unpretentious coop and one that’s a little fancier can be shocking.

People who feel they have an image to maintain will often spend ten to twenty times as muchper hen as I do, and only end up with a coop that looks like a toolshed. Heaven knows what it would cost to make a chicken coopthat looks like an English country cottage! “It’s a coop, but it costs like a sedan.” It’s amazing how a little trim, the use of siding instead of plywood, and other simple changes balloon the cost.

Because of the immense cost difference, it’s important to have things straight in your mind before you pick up a hammer.A lot of people have vague hopes of turning a profit someday, and use these as an excuse for spending lots of money onchicken coops. Thisnever works out. Either you’re in this for the money or you aren’t. If you’re not in it for the money, assume that every dollaryou spent is one you’ll never see again, and you’ll stay out of trouble.

Read this article on chicken coops that I wrote for ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas). It talks aboutall kinds of chicken coops, including “chicken tractors” (portable pasture pens).

“Hoop coops” are cattle-panel hoophouses,which are much better than pasture pens (also called “chicken tractors”).

Back to the Poultry FAQ Page.

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We have looked at how to make Chicken laying boxes or a Chicken nest, but sometimes we have problems getting the quota of eggs we require from our birds. Under ideal conditions a Chicken will lay an egg nearly every day. However conditions are not always ideal and however many books on Chickens we may wish we had bought, if you don’t own a good book on raising Poultry then I will try to cover the subject for you here.

Chicken nesting boxes, as we have seen can be fancy or they can be homemade and quite basic. For Hen laying boxes we can keep it quite simple if we wish, the Chickens spend minimal time laying their eggs and it only needs to be functional, although those who are keeping Pet Chickens may have an eye on the aesthetics of the Chicken Coop as well as wishing for a good and regular supply of eggs. Chicken laying can be interrupted by quite a few different external factors and we will be looking at them in detail. A Chicken nest is seldom the cause as long as the laying boxes for Hens meet some basic requirements.

Chicken Stopped Laying?

There are a number of factors that can effect Chicken laying. The main reasons are:

• A Shock




• The Age of the Hen




• The amount of daylight available

This is by no means a complete list but these are the main reasons why a Hen may stop laying. Housing Chickens, as with their Hen laying boxes, can be simple or more involved. Again, as long as they have some relative comfort the Chicken Coop is seldom the factor that will make Chickens stop laying. As long as it is not too cold and you provide a few Chicken laying boxes it is normally one of the above factors that will cause a Hen to stop laying.

There are a few things we can do to keep Chicken laying problems to a minimum. We cannot always do anything to help but for a few of the reasons behind Chickens not laying we can do something to help.

A shock or a fright can cause a Hen to stop laying. If it becomes scared or something new and out of the ordinary happens within its environment then it may stop laying. This could be for a day or sometimes it can be for a week or two.

What can we do if Chicken laying stops because of a fright?

We need to try to ensure that it does not happen. A fright can be caused by a Dog trying to attack the Hens, adding new stock to their environment, thunder and lightening or any number of causes that are seen as upsetting to our birds. To minimise the problem we should always ensure that Dogs and other animals have no way of getting in to the Chicken laying area or anywhere near the Chicken compound. The area should be well secured from animals and if we can keep all other wildlife away from the Hens then they will be much calmer. There are other ways that shock can stop birds laying, the weather is pretty much out of our control but should never cause more than a day or two without laying.

Adding new Hens to an established flock can be a problem. It is never recommended if possible as it can disrupt the flock. The Chicken nest may be ignored for a few days if new additions arrive. To minimise this try keeping them separated by wire for a week or so. They can gradually become accustomed to each other without any bullying occurring and it should minimise Chicken laying interruptions.

Chicken Egg Laying Video

The age of a Hen is the deciding factor when it comes to egg laying. Chicken laying has a finite time span. All Chickens have a predetermined number of eggs that they will lay throughout their life. They will lay the majority of them within the first two years of their life. So you better have a sturdy Chicken nest if you are going to keep your birds for the rest of their lives! They will continue to lay for years but the number of eggs they lay in any given week begins to decrease dramatically after Chicken laying has passed the first few years.

If your Chicken is approaching two years old then there is nothing you can really do to increase egg production. It is simply the Chickens age that is causing the Chicken laying to decrease. The solution? Well, you can keep Pet Chickens. Keeping Chickens as Pets is one option or culling is the other. You will then simply need to replace the birds with point of lay Hens.

The other main way why you will see a reduction in egg laying and what many books on Chickens will tell you, is the lack of daylight. When the days become shorter most Chicken Laying will be reduced. If the weather is cold then this will become more severe. Chicken nesting boxes will have little to play in this cause. They could be very comfortable indeed but a Hen laying box will make no difference if the daylight hours are short.

There is a very simple solution if Chicken laying has decreased as the hours of light do. You simply need to increase the hours of light to a more suitable duration. The simplest way to do this is by simply providing artificial light to improve Hens egg laying. A medium watt bulb will probably be sufficient in a small space. Increase the amount of light so they have about 14 hours of light and you should see a return to an egg being layed almost every day. This is a simple but effective technique if you have seen a drastic reduction in Hen laying because the days have become shorter.

Hopefully these few tips from “Chicken Nesting Boxes” will see you getting more eggs each day than you possibly eat and return the Chicken laying to a more regular routine.

We’ve modified our chicken nesting boxes and it has made a huge difference in the behavior of our egg laying chickens.

Low Egg Production

This past fall our egg production numbers fell significantly when our chickens developed a habit for routinely eating eggs. After a bit of research we decided to modify the nesting boxes, from large communal boxes to shoe box size nesting spaces.

The birds actually seem to be more comfortable with the smaller nesting boxes. In fact, we had a few birds who used to lay their eggs on the floor instead of in the communal nesting boxes. After modifying the nesting boxes, all of the birds lay their eggs in the nests.

The smaller nesting boxes also prevent the chickens from fouling their nests and kicking the straw onto the floor. As a result we are getting eggs that are much, much cleaner than before and we are using less straw.

Since we made the changes to our nesting boxes 3 months ago we also haven’t seen any signs of egg eating by our chickens. We believe that the smaller nesting boxes are the main reason for the improvement of our flock’s behavior. With the new nesting boxes in place egg production levels have returned to normal.

Dimensions of Chicken Nesting Boxes

After observing our chickens we would agree that the new dimensions of the nesting boxes seem to suit our small flock. We have a dozen chickens total and two breeds: Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds.

After subdividing the 2 large communal nesting boxes into 6 smaller nesting boxes the approximate dimensions of each nesting box are:

Width: 12″
Depth: 12″
Height: 9″

The entrance to each of the nests is smaller still:

Width: 9″
Height: 6″

The smaller entrances serve several functions. We have found that we need about 2″ of straw in the bottom of each nest to keep the eggs from being accidentally cracked when they are laid. The smaller entrances help to hold the straw in the nest and keep the eggs safe. They also give the nest boxes a dim, cave-like feel. Our chickens do seem to prefer the small, dark and cozy nest boxes. Since they are several feet above floor level, we also provided a perch in front of the nest box entrances to create easy access for our chickens.

When building nest boxes it makes a lot of sense to size the boxes to the birds that will be using them. We chose the nesting box dimensions above to prevent the birds from standing in the nests. In our experience standing in the nest encourages several undesirable behaviors: egg eating, scratching straw onto the floor and fouling the nests. The shorter nest boxes prevent these behaviors and reduce dirty, cracked and pecked eggs.

Nest Box Plans

There are plenty of nest box plans out there and most of them are pretty basic. Some nest box plans are more sophisticated and even incorporate “egg chutes” for moving eggs out of the nest to prevent egg eating. Once we managed to eliminate egg eating within our flock we decided to stick with our fairly simple nest box design. However we made one more major improvement to our chicken nesting boxes that has made daily egg collection an even simpler task.

Our nest boxes are located inside the chicken coop, which is inside our passive solar barn. In the first version of our nest boxes, eggs could only be collected by entering the chicken coop. The frequent intrusions into the coop not only disturbed the birds, but almost always left my shoes covered in muck.

To improve the situation, we built doors on the back side of the nest boxes that allow egg collection from outside of the chicken coop. When we first discussed this plan, I was worried that the eggs might roll out onto the floor when the doors were opened for egg collection. To prevent this from happening, we included a 2″ lip on the back of each of the nest boxes to keep the straw and eggs in the nest.

The nest box doors make egg collecting easy and clean. I would recommend a similar configuration to anyone looking for nest box plans that are both simple and functional.

Egg Laying Chickens for Beginners

Click here for more information on our flock of egg laying chickens. The article includes egg productivity charts, general information about the methods we are using to raise our chickens and also DIY plans for an automatic chicken light.

Chicken Coop and Barn

Click here to read more about our chicken coop.

Click here for more information on our passive solar barn.

More on Nesting Boxes for Chickens

These books offer more on nesting boxes for chickens:

We’ve had our egg laying chickens for about 8 months. It’s my first experience raising chickens and there has been a lot to learn.

Egg Laying Chickens for Beginners

When we first decided to raise chickens our coop was not yet constructed, but we went ahead and made arrangements to buy a half dozen pullets (young hens) from a nearby farm. Since our farm was not equipped with a space suitable for raising baby chicks, buying pullets was our best option even though it cost a bit more than if we had bought the chicks ourselves. Most of the farms in this area get their baby chicks by mail order and our chickens are no different…they came to Concho by mail.

Our chickens were raised by Moonrise Farms until May, when they were 8 weeks old and in their pullet phase. Spring has a way of sneaking up and we were still clambering to get our chicken coop together in time to receive our chickens on delivery day. With a few extra hands to help and a lot of long days we managed to get the coop fully built on time.

When the time came to pick up the chickens, we realized that we hadn’t really worked out a good method for transporting the pullets. In a pinch, we emptied out our largest plastic storage containers and used those for carrying the chickens. Thankfully the chickens only had to ride in the back of the station wagon for a couple miles.

We’ve since bought a large animal crate that will work much better for transporting chickens. We’re also fixing up an old truck, which will be better suited to our farm needs.

Chicken Feeders

When we first brought the pullets home, we put them on a diet of chicken starter crumbles. When they started to lay eggs we changed their feed over to chicken layer pellets. Our chickens seem to prefer the pellets, though other folks say their flocks prefer the crumbles. We use a 40 pound hanging feeder, it works great because it prevents chickens from stepping into the feed trough and fouling the food. Hanging the chicken feeder will also keep mice from getting into it.

Chicken Waterers

Currently we supply fresh water to our chickens using a five gallon galvanized chicken waterer on simple cinder block platform. Having the waterer up off the ground keeps the water supply clean by preventing chickens from easily stepping into the trough. We’ve done our best to discourage our hens from sitting on top of the waterer and have placed a chicken wire “crown” on top of it.

Availability of fresh water affects egg production and we frequently wash out and refill the waterer. Our flock is particular about their water and if the waterer runs dry they make quite a fuss until the matter is addressed. We are moving towards an automated watering system. Once it is in place we will eliminate the task of filling the chicken waterer and our chickens will always have access to an uncontaminated water supply.

Click here to download a PDF version of our automated watering system that we are designing for use in our barn and garden.

Chicken Roosts

At night chickens like to roost. We’ve given our chickens several bars to stand on while they sleep. The roosting bars are all at the same height (about three feet off the ground) and provide enough space for all the chickens to stand comfortably, shoulder to shoulder. We originally used a ladder like design for our roost, but all of the hens wanted to be on the top rung!

I’ve read that sometimes you need to show your chickens where to roost if they don’t do it instinctively, but our chickens had no problems finding their roost.

Egg Laying Chicken Breeds

After getting our first flock settled we expanded almost immediately by adding another 6 pullets for a total of 12 egg laying hens. The addition of new chickens caused a degree disruption in the hen house that we weren’t really expecting. In the future we’ll merge 2 flocks by keeping them side by side in a divided coop until they became familiar with one another.

The dozen chickens that we have are of two breeds: Leghorn and Rhode Island Reds. The Leghorns are white and have proven to be very good producers. They started laying eggs about a month before the Reds and consistently produce large or extra large white eggs. The Rhode Island Reds have a more friendly disposition and lay brown eggs. They are a little larger in size than the Leghorns and seem to be moderate producers.

Because of their continuously high productivity, we’ve already determined that our next flock will also be Leghorns. The chart above compares our 2 breeds and illustrates the superior production levels exhibited by the Leghorns.

Chicken Egg Laying BehaviorsEgg Eating

While our flocks were still getting settled we had a lot of trouble with egg eating. To read about how we corrected the behavior see the following articles: Chicken Coop Plans and Chicken Nesting Boxes.

Egg Production

We’ve been monitoring egg production for the last 2 months and have been amazed that our number of eggs per day have been fairly steady even through the winter. We’d heard about chickens not laying eggs or only laying a very few eggs through the cold winter months. We have been surprised to find that our chickens have continued to produce eggs and attribute it partly to the warmth of our insulated passive solar barn. Winter temperatures inside the barn, which is partially devoted to our chicken coop range from 35 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. We will continue to monitor egg laying behaviors in order to learn more about how different factors effect egg production.

This chart shows the seven day average, which is simply the average for the last 7 days. In the above graphs the 7 day average is shown for each day of the month. By looking at the 7 day average, trends can be more easily observed when compared to daily graphs like this:

How Many Eggs

In theory each chicken can lay one egg per day. In our flock if a dozen eggs are laid in one day it represents 100% productivity. At our current average of 80% productivity our 12 hens lay 9 to 10 eggs per day. In early November our average productivity was higher at 90%. We believe that the reduction in egg productivity can be attributed to the colder winter temperatures and shorter daylight hours.

Chicken Feed

We’ve also begun to track food consumption. In our insulated passive solar barn our 10 month old hens now consume layer pellet at a rate of 2 ounces per chicken per day. In the morning we throw about a pound of scratch onto the ground in the outdoor chicken yard. Throwing it onto the ground encourages the chickens to scratch for bugs and forage for food. We also throw table scraps to the chickens several times through out the day, including vegetables, meat and anything that we would eat even if it is slightly spoiled. They seem to like variety.

Supplemental Chicken Light

As light began to fade this fall we installed an automated light system to supplement the sunlight coming through the South facing window of the barn. The chickens now get a total of 13 hours of light inside the chicken coop. The automatic light system consists of a photocell that senses light, a plug-in timer and a light fixture with a compact fluorescent bulb. The timer is set to turn on the light at 5 a.m. and shut off at 6 p.m. However, when the photocell senses daylight coming through the window, it cuts power to the light. For an off grid homestead this chicken light system works great, because it minimizes power consumption and you don’t even have to flip a switch.

We think that the steady supply of light in our chicken coop has contributed to good wintertime egg production. If you are interested in giving it a go, a quick and easy automated chicken light timer like one these two solutions should do the trick:

Automatic Chicken Light Timer – Method 1

Set a basic plug-in timer to come on at 5 a.m. and off at 6 p.m.
Next plug in a dusk-to-dawn photocell (plug in type) into timer.
Then plug in a trouble light and place the light in the chicken house.
Make sure your timer and photocell are placed where the photocell can be activated by Sun light.
The timer will provide for a 13 hour light cycle and the photocell will shut off the light when it detects sunlight.

Automatic Chicken Light Timer – Method 2

Set a basic plug-in timer to come on at 5 a.m. and off at 6 p.m.
Next plug in a trouble light and place the light in the chicken house.
Then screw in a duck-to-dawn photocell (screw-in type) into your trouble light’s light socket.
Make sure your photocell points away from the reflector on your trouble light or the light will flicker.
The timer will provide for a 13 hour light cycle and the photocell will shut off the light when it detects sunlight.

Chicken Nesting Boxes

Though we first installed communal nest boxes in the chicken coop, we quickly modified the nesting boxes to achieve better results. Click here to read about more about our chicken nesting boxes.

Our Chicken Coop

Click here to read about our self built chicken coop.