Chickens are a great addition to a garden, allotment or small holding. This is especially true if you aim to increase the amount of food you produce. Chicken eggs are a great source of protein. There is nothing better than a fresh egg laid by a happy chicken. Even if food is not your goal, chickens can help to compost. They can also keep you company while you garden.
In general, chickens are easy to care for. Once you find out that you can keep them at home or on your allotment, you need some equipment. There are a few things you need to have to make sure they are happy hens. Here’s the basics equipment you need to make sure you have healthy chickens.
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Chicken Coop
What is a chicken coop?
A chicken coop is the inside space where your chickens will spend their nights. They will retreat to the coop when they want to feel safe. It needs to have enough space for the chickens to live comfortably and without issues arising within the flock. If the space if too small chickens it can result in bullying. Bullying within a chicken flock can result in feathers being plucked out. It can also lead to fighting between birds. So, it is worth making sure there is enough room for the chicken flock to get along.
How big does a chicken coop need to be?
The coop needs to be between 5-10 square feet for each chicken, completely enclosed and safe from predators. In my experience a good coop will cost over £200. We built ours from second hand materials to help keep costs down. I have covered the coop in chicken wire to keep predators, like foxes, out. Predators will keep coming back and look for weaknesses. It is worth keeping an eye on your coop to see where they are trying to get in. Make that area even stronger.
Other things to consider in your chicken coop.
I recommend making sure there are perches in the coop. Chickens like to be off the floor and perching when they sleep. They also create a lot of mess when they sleep, so perching helps to keep them clean.
Consider how you will clean their coop out. They will produce chicken manure that will need to be removed. Some coops have trays, the side of our coop opens to allow us to remove the mess. I made our coop for the front opens to allow the bedding to easily be removed.
Nesting Boxes
What are nesting boxes?
Nesting boxes are where the chickens will lay their eggs. In my experience they will all want to use the same egg box even if there are many empty ones. It can cause angry squawking but this is normal chicken behaviour. Chickens tend to lay around one egg a day. They lay their eggs together. Then one will sit and hatch them. This way the whole flock will not need to sit on a nest.
What are nesting boxes made from?
Nesting boxes can be made out of anything that has at least three sides. They just need to be bigger than the chicken. I have used plastic baskets in the past. Make sure they are clean and the bedding is regularly changed. Chickens coops can get infested by red mites and they can make laying uncomfortable, regularly changing bedding can help.
Where to place nesting boxes?
Nesting boxes accessible from the outside make collecting eggs easy. Make sure you can get to the nesting boxes if you do not have them on the outside. Check for eggs daily. Sometimes, when you have a new flock, they do not know where to lay eggs. To encourage chickens to use the egg boxes, you can add fake eggs. The chickens will add their eggs and learn it is the place to lay. Once they start to use the nesting box remove the fake eggs.
Secure Doors to the Chicken Coop
Why do you need a secure door on your chicken coop?
Keeping your chickens safe is very important and they will return to their coop at night. There are many predators that would love to sneak in and eat your hens. Securing their coop at night is important.
Securing the coop is usually done by closing the door once the chickens have retreated to the coop at night. There are different types of doors, all with different prices.
What types of doors are there for chicken coops?
The simplest door is a manual one, usually a piece of wood that slides over the opening. While cheap it does need someone to open and close it each day. While it can be nice to see your chickens in the morning. It gets old quickly when it is raining. It also gets old in the cold over winter.
You can buy automatic doors. These start around £40 but I would recommend spending more. The cheapest automatic doors on Amazon.co.uk have a light sensor. I have found these are far too sensitive and closed before the chickens went to bed. The door we use was around £80 from Amazon.co.uk and uses a timer. It has been far more reliable. I have to remember to regularly change the times it opens and closes as the days lengthen and shorten. The most expensive doors offer multiple options to trigger the doors to open. These options include a light sensor and a programmable delay to the door closing.
Here’s a link to the Chicken Coop Door I am using https://amzn.to/3Z2bHLP
Keep an eye on your the door to the chicken coop.
Despite having an automatic door on my coop, I always check on them. I want to make sure they went to bed safely and they are secure. If the batteries do not have enough charge then the door not close. There have also been times when the chickens were trapped outside of the coop. They stayed up later than usual.
Chicken Run
What is a chicken run?
The coop is the inside space for chickens, a run provides a secure outdoor space. I recommend everyone has a chicken run with their coop in the UK. We can experience temporary control zones for bird flu. It is also legally necessary to separate our flocks from wild birds.
Where to get a chicken run?
We purchased our run from Amazon.co.uk and attached our coop to the outside. It is worth noting the bottom of the run is not predator proof. It will need extra chicken wire dug into the ground to make it secure. The netting is secured by cable ties, which can perish in the sun. They need to be checked and replaced if needed.
Here’s a link to a similar product to our chicken run. This isn’t fully predator proof. It can be secured with some extra chicken wire dug into the ground: https://amzn.to/4dMxYlc
I know many people who have built their runs using wood and chicken wire or bought pre-made chicken runs. Whatever the approach you take adding a secure outside run will make your chickens lives happier.
Water Dispenser
Water is important for chickens. They can go without food for a few days. This is not ideal or advocated. But, they need access to water every day.
We have used plastic water dispensers. These have a water reservoir that uses gravity to fill up the water. This works well. But, I found they start to leak after repeated use. We invested in a galvanised water which has worked well for the last two years. One downside is dirt can get into the water
Here’s a link to a similar galvanised water dispenser: https://amzn.to/4e0WIWw
Some people choose to use a water dispenser with drinking nipples. These stop the water from getting contaminated by dirt. These also work well too.
The type of water dispenser you use is personal preference but access to fresh water is mandatory.
Chicken Feeder
Chickens will search for food and eat scraps. They will need some form of dedicated feed. This ensures they have access to the correct amounts of nutrients and protein. Our chickens access their feed from a feeder with a reservoir and uses gravity to . Like the water dispenser we upgraded to a galvanised dispenser with a larger capacity. It also has a cover that protects the feed from rain.
There are many ways to give your chickens access to feed. A friend of mine uses a feeder that opens when the chicken steps on a plate. The chickens need a bit of training but quickly understand what to do to access the food.
Chicken feed can attract vermin. Storing the feed somewhere secure is important. Make sure the feeder is in a place rats and mice can’t access. The plate operated feeder is ideal for a location, like an allotment, there rats are likely to live.
Access to grit
It is important to give your chickens access to grit. Chickens do not break down food like humans. They use grit to help break food down in the same way we use our teeth. I use old plastic feeders to hold grit and shells for the chickens to access when they need it.
Conclusion
Chickens can give a lot of value to a garden. They offer eggs, composting, and company. They demand very little from their owners. With seven pieces of equipment, you can get up and running in no time. These include a coop, nesting boxes, a secure door, water and food dispensers, grit, and a chicken run. You will be looking after happy chickens quickly.
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