Chickens!!!! Coops!!!

Ever wonder where the chickens live at CCF? 

Well today is your lucky day.... 

Here at CCF we have 2 flocks of chickens. We have 31 laying hens located at the 'Old' farm off Bird Pond Rd (soon to be relocated to our newly relocated farm on Hardscrabble Rd)! In addition to these older laying hens, we have 22 pullets (younger hens) currently residing in an old camper trailer on the farm at Hardscrabble Rd (also know as the 'Chicks Only' Coop)!

All of these chickens enjoy their well made coops and provide a steady supply of eggs for our farm customers and shareholders.

Now you can learn what you will need to make your own chicken coop! It is quite simple and does not require a lot of supplies or expenses. Yeehaw!!! 

What you need:

-Some form of shelter (ex: old trailer, barn, shed, playhouse, etc..).  It doesn't matter what the shelter is, as long as it is sealed 'tight' to prevent predator invasions.  

-Some form of fencing (ex: wire poultry fencing, electric poultry netting, etc..). This will ensure that the chickens are contained within a designated area outside the coop.

- Wooden bars for chicken perches (roosting)

-Containing units for the hens to act as laying boxes (ex: shelving, wooden boxes, etc...) 

-Wood chips (pine shavings)  

-Chicken waterer 

-Chicken feeder

-Chicken feed (chick/chicken crumbles (for pullets) or laying pellets (for grown hens)

TIPS

-Install a few of the containing units in the shelter to act as 'laying boxes.'  Laying boxes can be made from old shelving, wooden boxes, or purchased from an agricultural store such as Tractor Supply. The boxes provide a dark comfortable area for the hens to lay their eggs.

-Install wooden perches for chickens to roost in one section or corner of the coop.  Perches can be made from a thick wooden dowel, or long circular wood (small tree).  At night, chickens love to 'roost' in a high spot off of the coop floor. 

-Sprinkle wood chips throughout the coop floor and into the separate containing units. Pine shavings work well and give the hens a comfortable living/laying surface.

-Change their water about twice a day.  If it is hot out, you might have to refill the water containers more than 2X daily! 

-Fill feeding containers with chicken food (laying pellets) at least 1X daily.

-Make a pasture area surrounding the chicken coop with the fencing.  In their natural habitat, chickens love being able to forage for grit containing calcium deposits and other healthy minerals!  

-Give chickens any plant matter (old lettuce greens, leftover  green salad, veggie compost, or grass clippings)! 

-Don't be afraid to reach under a chicken to snag an egg from their laying boxes!

ENJOY THESE CHICKIES!! Let us know if you have any questions. 

Xoxo, 

CCF