First coop
Soon after we had our country property we decided to get a few laying hens to have fresh eggs. We ordered 6 layer chickens and built a small raised coop, 4′ x 8′ and only 4 ft tall. we put in a roosting bar and feed and water buckets. This worked well for us for a few years but when we wanted a few more chickens we had to build bigger.
2nd coop
This time we wanted a walk-in coop which is easier to clean and has lots of windows to let in the sunshine. We doubled the size to 8’x 8′ and insulated the walls. It has four 1′ x 3′ windows that open outward in the summertime. They are covered on the inside with 1/2 inch hardware cloth to keep out predators.
Roosts
The walls, floors and nesting boxes are painted white as well as the roosting bars. We put in 4 nesting boxes and a 4 rung roosting bar that started at 2 ft and stepped up to 4 ft high. We used 1’x 2′ boards for the roosts so the chickens can cover their feet in the winter. The roosts are 4 ‘ long and the top one is at window height.
Nesting boxes
The nesting boxes are 14″ x 14 ” x 14″ with a sloped roof to prevent them from sleeping on top of them. We fill the nests with fresh straw or shavings to keep the eggs clean. This also protects the eggs in the winter cold. We have 30 chickens now and they all share the nests. There is sometimes a lineup of chickens waiting for their turn in the nest.
Feed
We buy omega layer feed for our chickens as well as scratch grain, kitchen scraps and mealworms for treats in winter. In the summer they have a lot of fresh greens from the garden as well as some free-range time when I can watch them. We tried to totally free-range when we first got them and if I let them out in the morning they would end up as far as the neighbour’s deck by afternoon. Our neighbours are very kind and thought it was cute but I’m sure that would not be tolerated for long.
Having a run for them
We put up a large fenced-in run that is 50′ x 25′. It gave them plenty of room to hunt and peck and we place garden scraps and trimmings from around the property for them to investigate. This way they are not only happy and safe but now the neighbours don’t have to worry about chicken manure on their deck.
Breeds of chickens
A chicken lays on average 1 egg every 25 hours. This means that we get about 25 -30 eggs every day from our 30 hens. We have 2 types of chickens right now. A red sex link is a brownish red hybrid that is a top-performing layer of brown eggs. The other breed is Ameraucana which lays blue eggs. We have 10 of these. They are a little less productive. There are many other breeds out there and if you want a pretty flock rather than egg production you have a lot to choose from.
Watering
We have 2 types of waterers for our chickens. In the summer we use large plastic waterers that are easy to clean and refill. They need a lot of water when it is hot out. We usually put extra pans out for them to walk in as it cools them down this way too.
In the winter we use metal waterers that can be put up on a heated platform. This keeps the water from freezing at -25 degrees Celcius. It also keeps the water raised up and out of the shavings which can get kicked around a lot in the coop. We have electricity run to our coop so we can have the heaters and light inside.
Lighting
Lighting can be for 2 reasons. One so you can actually see what you’re doing at evening chores in the winter when the sun goes down at 4:30 pm. You need to collect eggs, check their feed and water and do a headcount before you lock up for the night.
The other reason is to keep your chickens laying throughout the winter. Chickens need at least 14 hours of daylight t continue to lay eggs. In October the nights are starting around 6 pm and increase to 4:30 pm by December 21, the longest night of the year or winter solstice.
We add programmed timer lights that add 2 hours of light at first then increase to 6 hours by December. Then we reverse this as the daylight hours increase. Some people feel that giving the wintertime break to their chickens is the way to go so it is up to you whether to light the coop or not.
Gateway livestock
Of course, having laying chickens led to meat chickens, turkeys, Muscovy ducks and now geese. I’ll share more about these animals in upcoming posts. Will you start your hobby farm with some chickens?
