Ask Danny | Ep. 27: Constructing & Sustaining a Yard Hen Coop

Elevating yard chickens is usually a enjoyable and rewarding expertise, offering recent eggs and even a supply of companionship. Nonetheless, earlier than you begin your yard rooster journey, it’s necessary to know the fundamentals of constructing and sustaining a rooster coop.

At the moment’s House owner Manufacturing Supervisor Corey Wilson is becoming a member of me to talk rooster.

Coop Dimension

On the subject of constructing or shopping for a rooster coop, dimension is a crucial consideration. The quantity of house wanted for every hen will differ relying on the variety of birds you intend to maintain, however a normal rule of thumb is to offer 2-3 sq. ft of coop house per hen and 5-10 sq. ft of run house per hen.

Keep in mind —chickens sleep within the air, perched on a limb, so make certain to incorporate sufficient house for them to sleep comfortably.

Coop Elements

A rooster coop sometimes consists of a number of key elements: nesting packing containers, roosts, runs, and an enclosed space for sleeping and safety.

Nesting packing containers present a protected and safe place for chickens to put their eggs, whereas roosts give the birds a spot to sleep.

Runs are important for train and foraging. The enclosed space serves as a protected house for the birds to sleep, relaxation and take shelter.

On the subject of flooring, use supplies like sand, hay or pine shavings. These supplies are comfy for the chickens and simple to wash. In addition they take in moisture, which helps preserve the coop dry and smelling recent.

A well-built and maintained coop is essential for the well being and well-being of your chickens. Offering sufficient house, perches, and appropriate supplies for the birds, will be sure that they’re comfy and wholesome and might produce eggs effectively.

Egg Manufacturing

A wholesome hen will sometimes lay one egg per day, along with her reproductive cycle lasting between 24-27 hours. Nonetheless, the precise egg manufacturing can differ relying on quite a lot of components comparable to the quantity of daylight, consolation, predators, and vitamin.

• Daylight: Chickens want not less than 14 hours of daylight so as to lay eggs. Within the winter, when daytime are shorter, egg manufacturing will naturally lower. You should use synthetic mild to complement the daytime, but it surely’s necessary to make use of the fitting kind of sunshine and the correct amount to keep away from stressing the birds.
• Consolation: Chickens want a clear, dry and protected place to put their eggs. A well-maintained rooster coop with nest packing containers will present the consolation and safety that chickens want to put eggs.
• Predators: Chickens that really feel threatened by predators won’t lay eggs. It’s necessary to guard your chickens from predators by securing the coop and the encompassing space.
• Diet: Chickens want a balanced weight-reduction plan that gives the mandatory vitamins for egg manufacturing. Feed particularly formulated for laying hens will present the fitting stability of protein, calcium, and different important vitamins.

Curiously sufficient, a rooster will not be vital for a hen to put eggs. Hens will lay eggs whether or not or not there’s a rooster current. Nonetheless, if you wish to breed chickens, you will want a rooster.

Hen Meals

There are a number of varieties of rooster meals out there available on the market, every designed to fulfill the particular dietary wants of chickens at totally different levels of their life.

• Starter feed: Any such meals is formulated for chicks throughout their first six weeks of life. It incorporates a excessive stage of protein, round 20-24 p.c, to assist them develop and develop rapidly.
• Grower feed: Because the chicks develop, they want totally different meals. Designed for chickens between 6-20 weeks previous, grower feed incorporates a decrease protein stage round 16-18 p.c as they don’t want as a lot protein as after they have been chicks however nonetheless want sufficient to assist their development.
• Layer feed: Chickens are adults as soon as they attain 20 weeks previous, so that they now want a special kind of meals. Layer feed is formulated for egg-laying hens, so it incorporates a better stage of calcium to assist the formation of eggshells.
• Pellets: These small, easy-to-eat items are handy to make use of and retailer, and are sometimes used as a whole feed for chickens.
• Crumbles: Much like pellets, crumbles are additionally compressed, however they’re smaller in dimension and are typically extra palatable for chickens.
• Mash: Mash is made by mixing collectively totally different grains and protein sources. It’s normally moist and simple for chickens to eat.
• Scratch: Scratch is a sort of feed that’s made up of complete grains comparable to corn and barley. Chickens are inspired to forage, so any such meals is can used as a deal with.

Price to Feed Chickens

On the subject of feeding your chickens, a very good rule of thumb is to plan for about one bag of meals each three weeks for a flock of 10 hens.

On common, a bag of rooster feed can price anyplace from $40 to $50. This will seem to be quite a bit, however when you think about the truth that chickens will lay eggs nearly day-after-day, it’s a small value to pay for the scrumptious, recent eggs they supply.

Along with common rooster feed, present your birds with oyster shells for calcium. That is important for sustaining the energy of their eggshells. You should buy oyster shells in a bag they usually normally price round $10-15.

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