Backyard Chicken Coop Designs In Australia - Dine-A-Chook

1. f Backyard Chicken Coop Designs In Australia | Dine-A-Chook Keeping Backyard Chickens for the first time? Our in depth guide is well worth a read. It is never too early or too late to start. The hobby of keeping backyard chooks is a fruitful endeavour. Watching some of nature’s curious creatures from your kitchen window draws you into the out-of-doors for a breath of fresh air. Setting up a habitat for them is a matter of providing the creature comforts that you enjoy. Food, water, shelter and protection from harm keep them safe and comfortable while they produce fresh eggs for your breakfast table. Understanding Housing Options Backyard chicken coop designs may appeal to your sense of beauty as well as your desire for practicality, and they can provide a decorative accent that complements your landscape. Architectural plans guide you through building your own hen house, or you may prefer one with the aesthetic design and features that you desire. As long as it protects your backyard chooks from the climate, denies access by predators and provides nesting places as well as plenty of food and water, you cannot go wrong. Australian made chicken coops provide methods to deter predators such as cats, dogs, Rats, Possums and snakes, but you must remember to close all doors and gates. Giving Your Birds Enough Space An accepted rule for space accommodation inside the coop is four square feet for each bird even though each one takes up only about one square foot. Giving them personal space prevents disagreements and makes them happy. Choosing backyard chicken coops australia that are as large as possible provides advantages to you as well as to the hens. Removing the droppings is a task that requires you to work inside the coop, and you have to do it less often in a larger space. As your hens age, gathering eggs is a joyful task that may require you to go inside as well. Raising backyard chickens in Australia is a legal activity, but you may want to check with your local council prior to investing in a structure for your birds. Selecting a Design

2. Portable, elevated off the ground or set on a foundation, chicken coops australia have designs that appeal to your preference for simplicity or elegance. Arks feature a triangular style that is easy to move to a sunny or shady location. Simple sheds that have a sloped roof are efficient rain handlers, and windows that keep out rain and snow are essential on any structure. Providing ventilation in the summer provides air flow that keeps temperatures at a tolerable level. A key feature of backyard chicken coops australia is a protected, outdoor run that lets your birds walk around, sit in the sun or scratch grass. In outdoor run, they need about square feet per bird. Having a safe place to walk and look for bugs or other edibles helps them achieve an aspect of freedom, in the their 10 avoiding a dreaded human condition of feeling “cooped up”. As a replica of a famous building, an upscale abode or a modest cabin, a coop provides a refuge for your hens. Professionally built, australian made chicken coops are available at these sellers: The Chicken Tractor The Garden Coop Backyard Chicken Coops Royal Rooster “Coming Home to Roost” The figurative expression takes on more meaning when you realize that it has a literal interpretation as well. Custom made chicken coops provide roosts that are hens' preferred method of resting and sleeping. Placing perches at various heights allows hens to exercise their “pecking order” in which the more dominant ones take the highest ground. Chickens poop while they rest and sleep, making the placement of the perches an important consideration. You need to allow a minimum of 200 mm of space on a perch for each bird. To build your own perches, use 75 mm and 50 mm timber rounds, and place them at 500 mm or more above the floor.

3. Keeping in mind that the coop floor needs periodic cleaning, place perches in locations that allow you room to work with tools to remove droppings. Cover the floor with sawdust, sand or wood shavings to absorb the droppings. Our Dine a Chook feeders and waterers need a location that is not under the perches. Setting them at a height that is as high as a hen’s back makes them easily accessible. Preparing Nesting Boxes As many as four or five hens can share one nesting box where they can lay eggs. Make sure to fill each nest with materials such as dried grass or straw to keep eggs clean. Each 300 x 460 square mm nest needs to occupy the coolest spots in the coop at a height of about 600 mm. The wall that does not face the afternoon sun is ideal. Make sure to place the nests at a distance from the perches so that your hens are inclined to use them for laying eggs instead of for sleeping. Providing access to the nesting boxes from the outside is a convenience for you and a courtesy to the hens. Expecting Fresh Eggs As your hens reach an age of 16 to 24 weeks, you need to make sure that the nests are ready. A rooster is not needed for the egg laying process, and you can keep your flock quiet, remain within the law and keep your neighbors happy without the presence of one. Each of your hens may lay one egg on some days and none on others. Usually requiring 26 hours to form an egg, hens’ sensitivity to light exposure may result in a delay in starting production of an egg for the next day. Production is greatest in the first year and gradually diminishes. Hens that produce dozens of eggs for two to five years deserve a restful retirement in your back yard. Preparing to Enjoy Your Flock Your choice of australian made chicken coops is sure to bring you hours of contentment and communication with nature. As long as it provides security, shelter, nests, perches and Dine a Chook waterers and feeders, your backyard chooks can live a happy and healthy life entertaining you and producing fresh eggs for your enjoyment. For more information, Please contact us. Dine a Chook 16 Camuglia Street, Mount Louisa, QLD 4814 Phone: 1800 103 326 www.dineachook.com.au