The Right Pet Chicken Coop - How to Choose

Housing your pet chickens appropriately is vital to their well being. Chickens housed poorly rarely do well. They can become sick and unproductive, often developing severe behavioural problems.

What are the essential features of a good pet chicken coop?

Adequate space, including height, certain keeper and chicken friendly features, a decent level of workmanship and material quality for a long service life.

So lets get down to specifics and define these requirements.

Considering the size of a pet chicken coop:

If you have bantams such as Silkies you need to allow 4 sq.ft. per bird if they are to be confined all day or 2 sq.ft. each if they will be free range.

Hybrid laying hens such as ex-battery chickens will need 6 sq.ft. each if they are confined full time but this drops to 3 sq.ft. if they go out and range free.

Traditional large breeds such as Orpingtons will require 8 sq.ft. per bird if they are living in the coop and run all the time but only 4 q.ft. each if they have access to free range ground.

When planning to keep large breeds like this you will need to make sure your coop has sufficient headroom. You should allow 24" in both the run and perching areas - especially if you have a cockerel.

Cleaning:

Cleaning is certainly going to be a regular job and so you want it to be easy for both you and your chickens. A well designed coop will open up on at least 2 sides giving you complete unhindered access.

While cleaning it can also be helpful if you are able to close your chickens into their run out of your way. Additional features such as a removable droppings tray, lift out perches and side walls that open or lift off will all make cleaning quick and easy.

It can help to keep the coop cleaner if there is a way to prevent night time roosting on the nest boxes.

Feeding:

Not many people think about feeding when buying a pet chicken coop but look out for a useful covered area where you can put a chicken feeder. This keeps the feed dry and prevents the accumulation of spilt wet feed which can breed infection.

Look for space to put a water container where you can easily reach it. Fresh water is vital for laying hens and so it needs to be easy to change their water on a daily basis.

Egg Collecting:

Some coops have externally opening nest boxes but it is not essential to be able to collect the eggs without opening your coop. In reality, confined hens rarely try to escape as they feel safe and secure in their run. Those that free range may hop out as you put your hand in but that's fine anyway!

Roosting & Perching:

Roosting or perching is part of the natural behaviour of chickens. It is not strictly necessary and intensively farmed birds often don't have access to perches but for your friendly pet chickens you will hopefully want to provide perches for them to roost on at night!

These are better if they are removable for cleaning as droppings accumulate over night. Bantams prefer to roost higher up than large breeds but in most coops the perches will be at an average set height. If you intend to keep a large breed ensure there is sufficient headroom - especially if you have a cockerel.

Nest Boxes:

There should be a nest box for every 4 or 5 hens. This wants to be in a relatively dark part of the coop to encourage them to lay there. Ideally it will not be easy to perch on the edge of the nest boxes and even better would be if they are closed off at night to avoid soiling.

Attached Run Flooring:

There is a balance to be struck here between natural behaviour and safety. Chickens love to scratch about for insects and juicy grubs but they also dig out dust baths for themselves. These can become quite large dusty holes in the ground and can create gaps at the edge of a run where predators could get under.

Some coops get around this by incorporating a mesh floor. This allows the chickens access to the ground but they can't really scratch it about and certainly can't create dust baths. They are however, safer from predators. If you decide to go for an integral floor you can provide a dust bath by putting sand in a low sided box for them to bathe and roll in.

Mobility:

It is vital for the long term health of your flock that they have access to clean ground on a regular basis. If it is not practical for them to free range you need to be able to move their run on a regular and frequent basis - weekly is a sensible aim. So, make sure any pet chicken house you buy is easily portable.

Material Quality & Workmanship:

Some pet chicken coops are just cheap in all ways whilst others offer value for money but are definitely better designed and built. Which are which?

Make sure your coop is made from pressure treated timber. If it doesn't say so then it is probably only dip treated and will need retreating 2-3 times a year. If the manufacturer understands chickens then they'll use pressure treated timber unless the whole coop is being made on the cheap.

Look for screws rather than nails. This may sound petty but for decent service life your pet chicken coop needs to be jointed with screws. If it comes flat packed, make sure the "tools required" include a screw driver rather than hammer!

All metal items such as hinges and hooks should preferably be galvanised. Very few will come with stainless fittings which is even better but a surprising number can come with plain steel fittings that rust very rapidly and can end up seizing or snapping.

Pressure treated coops still benefit from occasional treatment to keep them going for 10 years or more. It's also worth oiling hinges and clips now and then to just prolong their life and keep them moving freely.

Remember, this pet chicken coop is going to live outdoors in all weathers throughout the year. If you have a decent coop and take care of it you can expect years of happy chicken keeping.

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