Chicken Coops and Proper Maintenance

Chicken coop maintenance can be hard especially for those who are still starting out.  Even though the chickens themselves do not need any special care and attention, their food and water intake must be well regulated to make them healthier and better at laying high quality eggs. While chicken farmers before usually let their chickens out of the pen or coop to look for food, today chickens are kept inside the coop to keep them safe.  That is why chicken farmers must know proper chicken coop maintenance.

Chicken Care:

The number one concern of every chicken farmer is feeding the chickens.  Since they are kept inside the coop, they depend largely on their owners to provide them with nourishment.  For a yield of high quality eggs and meat, chickens must be fed with the right feeds containing the right amount of nutrients that they need.  Giving them cheap feeds with no nutritional value will downgrade the quality of eggs or meat that they produce.

While it is fun to scatter feeds on the grounds and let the chickens scamper to get it, placing the feeds in a container or tray is better to avoid wasting the feeds. Cleanliness is a must in chicken house maintenance.  The food trays and water containers must be cleaned frequently. Ensuring the chickens’ safety is also a big concern in coop maintenance.  They must not be able to get out of the coop so it must always be checked for holes.  Predators might also be able to get in and harm the chickens if there is an opening in the coop.

How To Clean The Coop:

The hardest part in chicken coop maintenance is the gathering and disposal of chicken dung or droppings.  This must be done on a regular basis because of the bad smell of chicken dung.  The more chickens you have, the more frequent you should clean the coop of their wastes.

The ideal interval in cleaning the coop is 2 to 3 months but the more frequent you do the cleaning the better for your chickens and you.  Chicken dung can smell very bad and attract parasites so to keep diseases from setting in, dispose of chicken droppings often. The droppings need not go to waste because it can be used as fertilizer.  It is all natural and far better to use than synthetic fertilizers. Egg gathering is also part of maintaining the coop.  It is a very delightful work and must be done every day.

Repairing The Chicken Coop: 

At one point or another, a part of the coop structure might get torn or damaged.  You need to repair this immediately to make the coop safe for your chickens.  Make sure that everything is secure and safe for your chickens.

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