Small Pet Advice

When you build a hen house there are a ton of things to think of. Most of your time and energy over the last few days will have been taken up with the necessary questions about light, air and protection for your flock. But now you’ve done your homework, your coop is secure, sturdy and easy to work in, you’ve cleaned everything up and are rearing to get your girls in. The last thing on your mind is the need to build chicken coop accessories right?

I know that this is completely frustrating, just when you thought that the hard work was done, now you have to accessorize the blimming thing? I remember thinking “how shocking would it be if we didn’t add in a nesting box or two?” and “what the heck is a roost?”. “Why do they have a water trough or feeder? Can’t they just eat off the floor and snooze on the floor? They are just hens after all, why must we bother with attempting to build chicken coop accessories”. There must be a reason, so I thought a bit harder.

Yes they are hens which is just the reason why we have to reflect on their wants. Because chickens are just animals their needs are very basic. Their instincts define their needs and that is to eat, sleep and nest where they are safe. Simple as that. If you need their eggs, then you have to make them at ease so that they will freely give you those eggs with as little drama as possible.

So when you build chicken coop accessories try to picture that you are a insignificant, almost flightless creature and ask yourself where you would feel safest. I bet that ‘in the highest tree’ would figure quite highly! Here is a brief run-down on the more common accessories for your coop

Nesting Boxes;
Nesting boxes are for your birds to produce their eggs in – If you thought that they were for sleeping in, you are just like I was when I first started! Nesting boxes are easy to build because they can be made out of anything. But just ensure that if it absorbs water and is biodegradable that you replace it regularly. They can be packed with straw, paper, shavings or hay, but this also should to be changed on a very frequent basis.

I recognize that we inundate you with stories about chickens needing their room, but when it comes to the nesting box they definitely like safety in numbers, so allow for 4 or 5 hens per box rather than building single nests.

The Roost;
The roost is where the sleeping is done.
The roost equates to the highest branch in a tree, so it really only needs to be a solid shaft. As long as it will support the mass of the chickens and they can wrap their talons around it firmly most anything will do. An important note when you build chicken coop roosts is that just as in nature, chooks will argue over the highest branch, so make all the roosts the equal height. This is one area that your hens will like their space, so make sure that there is enough area on the roosts for all your girls. This will avoid major fights and help encourage a calm setting.

Heads up!; Do not set your nesting boxes or any other accessories underneath your roosts! Birds do most of their pooing while they snooze – now I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be that keen on producing an egg in a soiled nesting box!

Feeders and Waterers;
These are as self explanatory as they sound. there are a excellent variety of mechanized systems available that will guarantee that your chickens have a complete stock of fresh food and water.

Sand Baths;
Sand Baths are pretty well the only ‘luxury item’ in the house. Most people put sand in the bottom when they build chicken coop runs – which acts as flooring as well.

Heaters;
If you reside in really cold areas then these may well be installed in your house with relative ease. There are a lot of heaters to be had, but many also create a huge fire risk so installing a heater in your enclosure should really only be done if totally necessary.

Fortunately there are a great selection of plans available for when you want to build chicken coop accessories that contain all the essentials with easy peasy step by step instructions. From building chicken coop nesting boxes to roosts it all becomes a breeze – In fact I bet it even makes your neighbors jealous and your eggs taste better!

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