Accessories For Your Backyard Chicken Coop
After you’ve determined the basics with regard to building a chicken coop, you’ll need to spend some time deciding which accessories will be useful to make sure that your chickens are comfortable and in good health so that they’ll produce many fresh eggs for you each morning.
There are a variety of accessories that can be added to a chicken coop. The matter of which accessories you ultimately decide to use is left to your own judgment. Still, it’s important to get at least the basic accessories, since this will have a big impact on the health of the coop.
Here are some of the basic accessories you’ll want to think about.
Feeders
Selecting a chicken feeder for your coop is important, since you’ll want to make sure they can easily access the feed. Your chickens need to eat plentiful, fresh food to ensure proper growth and development, as well as optimal egg output, so take the time to buy a good quality feeder for your coop.
You’ll also want to pay attention to the height at which you install the feeder in the coop, since this will affect how easily your chickens can reach the feeder in order to eat.
Nesting Boxes
Chicken nesting boxes come in a number of different sizes and shapes. You can also make them yourself using materials that are commonly found in many homes. Old wooden drawers or boxes, or a large plastic pail will suffice. Plan on installing one nesting box for every two to four hens, depending on the size of the box and your chickens. Make sure the boxes are somewhat dark inside to serve as a refuge for your chickens.
Another that you should make sure to do is to build the nesting box so that the top is at an angle. This will help discourage the chickens from sleeping on top of it.
Waterier
Having a good chicken waterier inside the coop will help ensure your chickens have a good supply of fresh water on a regular basis. With this again you can use many items you have right around the house to help cut down on the cost and make it more convenient for you.
If you are building a larger sized chicken coop it will be a good idea to include two wateriers if you can to give your chickens a bit more access to fresh water when they need it.
Perches
The final thing you want to remember is to add a quality perch to your chicken coop. This will help your chickens have a good night’s sleep; well rested chickens lay eggs more effectively.
Like the waterier, be sure you’re providing enough perches for the chickens so they don’t have to fight for room. Also make sure your perches are wide enough to comfortably fit the chickens since as they grow they will likely need a bit more room to sleep comfortably.
Design your chicken coop with these crucial accessories in mind. You’ll want to make sure you plans include enough space to house not only the chickens, but all of the accessories that must be included. Leaving your chickens with enough space to comfortably move around is important. Crowded chickens cannot produce nearly as many eggs, so you should take the design and layout of the coop seriously.
Tags: box, building a chicken coop, chicken, chicken nesting boxes, coop, feeder, fresh eggs, Phoenix, wooden drawers
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