One of the most ignored, but vital choices you can make concerns the location of your chicken sheds. Choosing the wrong spot can cause sickness amongst the flock, decreased numbers of eggs, dirty and sullied eggs, and other damaging consequences.
Error #1: Not Choosing an Area with Sufficient Drainage
Perhaps the one single item that will most often take all the enjoyment out of growing chickens is locating your chicken sheds in areas with deficient water drainage. This can lead to water buildup, sludge, drenched litter, sullied eggs, diseases, and a lower number of eggs produced.
If the water is not able to drain correctly it will result in muddy areas. When chicken droppings are added to the mixture of soil and water, it can yield an unhygienic mire. This can be tracked into the main chicken shed area where the food, water, nest boxes, and litter are located, which will cause the litter to get drenched and the eggs and poultry nests to quickly become sullied. Chickens must be provided with an unpolluted coop to continue being healthy and provide you with lots of eggs.
Error #2: Putting together Chicken Sheds that are Facing A Bad Direction
When making a chicken pen you should face it southward if at all possible. This is mandatory in places where the wintry months are brutal. South facing chicken houses will have the highest sunlight which will serve two very critical purposes. It can keep the chicken sheds a bit warmer through the cold weather which will usually help the interior stay drier. And bear in mind, chicken sheds that are drier will provide you with extra eggs and less illness.
Error #3: Not Selecting a Site with First-rate Air Circulation
Respectable air circulation, in addition to properly placed windows, can allow fresh air to blow through the coops. This can keep potent smells from rising to noxious amounts and help keep the litter drier.
Additionally, be aware of the wind direction in your area. Chicken sheds will ideally not be placed in areas with no natural breaks. If powerful winds are possible situate the hen house in an area with a natural wind break.
Error #4: Not Placing Chicken Houses Near Water and Electricity
Electrical and water supplies are a couple of issues that are not generally given any thought before construction actually starts. Nevertheless, constructing your coop in the vicinity of these sources is able to save you lots of labor and help you collect more eggs from your birds.
Being in the vicinity of a water supply will make it simple to install an easy automatic watering system, eliminating the requirement of refilling the water fountains each and every day. Electrical outlets will allow you to add artificial light inside the poultry house if necessary. Pullets need a minimum of 14 hours of light every day if you are expecting them to give you eggs on a consistent basis. During the times of the year when there is less than 14 hours of sunshine you can install extra light in the chicken housing which can keep the hens producing steadily even throughout the winter. Just one solitary low-watt light bulb will generally do the trick.
Error #5: Not Taking into Consideration Upcoming Expansion
It is best to keep your choices open. You may perhaps believe that you will never keep a larger quantity than 3 or 4 pullets, but it still pays to leave yourself a bit of extra breathing room. Even if you don't expect to increase the number of pullets you keep, it is generally a fine idea to give yourself enough room to do so if you should ever change your mind.
You may perhaps feel that just a few pullets is sufficient and construct your poultry shed in an area where there is no additional space for future expansion. Nonetheless, if something should cause you to change your mind and you decide to keep a dozen hens you will wish you had the extra room, so plan ahead.
Joshua has raised hens for over two decades and has built all of his own chicken sheds throughout that time. He is an authority in successfully growing poultry for meat and egg production. You can discover more in relation to manufacturing top-of-the-line
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About the Author:
Joshua has raised hens for over two decades and has built all of his own chicken sheds throughout that time. He is an authority in successfully growing poultry for meat and egg production. You can discover more in relation to manufacturing top-of-the-line chicken sheds, successfully growing chickens, and other beneficial guidelines on his website at http://www.chicken-ark.net.