![]() The poultry hens also need exposure to adequate sunlight, especially during the cold months of the year, to provoke maximum egg laying. Bacteria present in chicken (or duck) droppings is typically killed when exposed to sunlight to foster enhanced drying out. When sunlight hits the ground in the run it not only dries up the mud, it also dries out the droppings. Sun and ShadeĪlthough the chicken coop and run need to be located in a space that receives shade or offers shade via a top on part of the run of some sort, getting adequate sunlight is also critical for coop health. Raccoons are clever predators, with most fully capable of flipping a simple flap or hook style lock and making their way inside the living and day run quarters. Two steps locks should be installed on every entry point into the chicken coop and run. Make sure any vented areas are covered with hardware cloth to prevent small predators, like mink, from climbing exterior coop walls or trees and dropping down inside the coop.Ĭhicken wire is great for keeping birds in but extremely poor at keeping predators out. If the coop is not properly ventilated illness is far more apt to develop and spread. Proper ventilation is also a crucial part of the coop set up. When birds have a large coop and run, or spend the bulk of most day free ranging, the amount of droppings and general mess they make when experiencing times of consistent rain is far less. When the birds are continually exposed to living, walking, and eating around their own droppings, they are far more likely to develop an infection or a virus that can spread.Ī severe bacterial infection or contagious disease can wipe out even a large flock in less than a single week. The more space the birds have to move, the less mess they will make waddling around in. I cannot recommend highly enough to invest in quality materials, and to go as large as you can even if you free range. ![]() The number and type of birds you keep in the coop and run will determine their size. ![]() If the coop and run are not constructed and maintained properly the birds will not only grow really unhappy, but they will become intensely vulnerable to both disease and predator attacks. The first and most important part of chicken keeping is the coop itself, its design and construction. ![]()
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