People living in the rural areas have the opportunity to raise poultry in their backyard. It can just start as a hobby but this endeavor can actually be a worthwhile one as Poultry provide food for people. The Hen alone can already provide poultry meat plus it can also produce eggs which is a breakfast staple in many homes.
But you need a place where to put your Chicken to keep them safe and healthy. Otherwise, they will just roam around and won’t have the proper enclosure . The house of a chicken is known as a pen and it’s actually simple to build contrary to what some people think. One will only need low-cost building tools and follow simple instructions.
The planning stage is vital. This involves choosing your pen design whether you’re going to have an open or closed type or a semi-closed one, the size and the paint color. Design is very important because it will be dependent on your neighborhood. In other words, you will need to consider your neighbors if there are houses close by. The reason is that sometimes, raising chickens which can lead to foul smell can be the cause of fights and complaints among neighbors and you would want to avoid this.
The size of your pen should be your next consideration. This will depend on the number of chickens you decide to raise. If you’re raising chickens for poultry meat and egg purposes, you will need a space measuring 1 ½ to two square feet for every bird inside the pen but if you’re using a yard, eight to 10 square feet is ideal.
There has to be a door to allow you to go inside when you need to clean the pen or collect eggs. For the roof, build a sloping one to ensure that water does not collect on top or run off directly to the doors when it rains.
If you’re going to build a closed type, make sure to provide windows for proper ventilation. It can get hot during the summer and the window will let the sunshine in during the cold winter months. However, don’t forget to secure the windows using chicken wire so that predators are prevented from going inside the pen.
Place your pen in a location where your chickens will be safe and sound. It can be under a tree where they will be protected from direct sunlight and rain.
For the feeders and water containers, place them or hang them at a height just about the same level as the back of the chicken. This is to keep dirt from getting into their food and water.
Another option is to place nest boxes as well as perches on the wall area. The perches are meant to provide chickens an alternative place and this should ideally be three to four feet high. Having these perches will also make cleaning the pen a lot more easier for you.
The nesting box should be safe enough for the hens to lay their eggs. This should be placed away from the area where most activities occur.
Follow these steps and you will surely build a safe haven for your hens.
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