Just like any living thing, chickens need proper oxygen to thrive. But what does that look like? Are there special coop modifications that need to be made? Let’s take a closer look to get our chickens from surviving to thriving.
Ah, fresh air. I love opening my windows and letting the breeze float past my curtains and through my home. I like to let natural light in and maybe even keep my windows open throughout the day.
And just like us, chickens like adequate ventilation! They need it. Birds have sensitive respiratory systems because they don’t operate like mammal systems do. Chickens in particular have no diaphragm. Because of that, they rely on expanding their rib cage and breastbone to breathe. They also have very few air sacs connected to their lungs (nine on average – humans have about 300 million air sacs in a set of healthy lungs!)
This is what causes them to have such sensitive respiratory systems. Because they have such sensitive systems, it’s imperative you, as a chicken keeper, intervene and make sure you keep your flock as healthy as possible.
How can you do that? Let’s take a look at your coop plans.
Would you believe me if I said chicken coop windows that open and close aren’t a necessity? What we’re looking for is proper ventilation. To achieve that, I’d encourage you to create a window (we cut out a hole and covered it with hardware cloth. You could use wire mesh) on either side of your coop to encourage cross ventilation. That breeze will be more than enough for your chickens hanging out in nest boxes during the day or for when your chickens huddle inside during the winter months.
But will that be too much during cold weather?
No! Part of your chicken coop design should consider which way the wind blows and place your coop accordingly. Small openings, like the door to the coop, are also a part of your design. So what will be facing the wind?
You can also consider doing things like the deep litter method during the winter or putting plastic sheets over your run (NOT the windows to your coop) during the winter to provide a wind break.
Do you need more tips on how to get your chickens through the winter? I did a whole post on it! Check out “3 Tips To Get Your Chickens Through the Winter.”
What if my chickens free range?
Do your chickens return to a coop for any reason? If the answer to that question is yes, they need good ventilation.
In my opinion, chickens that free range should also be trained to return to a coop at night. This is a great way to secure your birds and protect them against predators. It’s also a great way to find your birds if you need to. If a predator gets onto your property or severe weather heads your way, all you need to do is head to your coop and do a quick head count. Training my chickens to return to their coop has been a game changer in my experience as a chicken keeper.
Breaking it down
Think of the stale air that’s in something like a hotel room or home that’s been unoccupied. That’s what’s happening in your chicken coop when you don’t provide a small window and good ventilation. Wood shavings produce dust; chickens produce dander; chicken manure can pile up; we need a place for everything to go! When you don’t have good ventilation, it’s going back to your chickens. This impacts your chickens’ health because of their sensitive respiratory systems. Since they can’t process respiratory irritants as we can, infection can set in. And that’s what we’re going to avoid by giving them proper ventilation. Those respiratory irritants will circulate out of your coop.
In our research, the size of the windows you put in your coop doesn’t matter. In our chicken coop, our door is about a foot high by eight inches across and our windows are about 4 inches in diameter. A shed with windows already installed is a good option for a chicken coop. If you don’t plan on having free-range chickens, put hardware cloth over the window and you have a secure, ventilated area for your birds.
Avoiding high humidity
Animals congregating in an enclosed space is going to raise the humidity. To avoid this, offer proper ventilation. But more importantly – clean out your chicken coop frequently! This is a great way to immediately increase the health of your chickens.
Other features to consider in your coop plans
Chicken run
Our birds don’t free range because we had such a bad problem with predators last winter. So we use 6-foot-tall dog panels as a chicken run.
As a general rule, we allow our birds to have two to four square feet of space in the run. And you should note that that’s an incredibly conservative estimate. We currently raise smaller breeds that require less room and we have expansion plans. In the late summer and fall, we also allow our chickens to free-range. Other homesteaders may give their chickens four to eight feet of run space per bird. A lot of these factors depend on what kinds of birds you’re raising, the size of your birds, and whether or not they free range.
The best position for your coop
Our coop is in the farthest part of our yard, facing away from the wind. That’s simply what works for us. We have had our coop close to our house and simply couldn’t stand greeting each day to our rooster crowing.
If you’re struggling to find the best position for your coop, consider where the wind usually comes from in your area, how your winters are, and whether or not you have predators in your area.
Easy access to chickens
In our run, we included a human door so we could feed our birds. We also included a door on hinges so we could access the nesting boxes. When building your chicken coop, keep access to your chickens at the top of your mind!
Durable materials
Our chicken coop is constructed out of sheets of plywood with linoleum, peel-and-stick tile on the bottom for easy cleanout. We included a metal roof and built our coop on stilts. The coop is about four feet wide and eight feet long. We painted the exterior of our coop to prolong the life of the wood.
I say all this to say – there are plenty of ways to make sure the size of your coop and design is adequate for your birds. Building chicken coops gives you the freedom to incorporate the design features you want and think are best for your birds. There are plenty of free plans online! Just don’t fall into the trap of thinking smaller coops are bad or that building a coop will not produce a well-designed coop.
Other basic needs
Roosting bars are a must to include in your chicken coop design. Chickens roost to escape predators – it’s an instinct for them.
Constant access to food and water is also a must to include in your design. If your chickens lack either for any reason, it may impact egg production.
The hours of sunlight your chickens get is more relative to egg production than it is to the health of your bird. And now that humans have learned a thing or two about chickens, we know we can stimulate egg production artificially using lights! On our micro homestead, we don’t use light to stimulate egg production. We prefer to give our chickens a break during the winter, exactly how God intended it.
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Sunlight is a necessary part of making sure your chicken is getting the vitamin D they need. It’s also a great tool for drying up your chicken run to keep moisture down and parasites from congregating. However, chickens get uncomfortable when temperatures get too hot. Keep an eye on your birds and adjust your sunlight accordingly using shade or even frozen vegetables to cool them down.
Phew! That’s a lot to learn about chickens!
Chickens are the gateway animal of homesteading. And they’re an incredible animal to have on your micro homestead! They’re usually accepted by city ordinances and they have a small footprint, making them a great addition to any backyard.
If you’ve ever wanted chickens but you don’t know where to start, check out my e-book! “Making a Microhomestead” was made with the beginner homesteader in mind. There are growth guides so you can make an intentional plan for your homestead. There are resource lists to point you to where you need to go to start making homestead connections in your area. There’s even a list of ways to homestead without land! (Because let’s face it – you can develop these skills before even moving onto a homestead!)
Click here to get your digital copy of “Making a Microhomestead”!
Be sure to check out some of the other goodies I have in my shop. Go to learnlifeblog.com/shop to stay up to date on everything we have going on!
Check out these other great blog posts!
Tips for Better Protecting Your Chickens Against Predators
Know Your Options for Chicken Feed
12 Tips for How To Safely Transport Chickens
Beginner’s Tips for Buying Meat in Bulk
Are you raising chickens? Here are some links to my favorite products!
- This style of waterer works great for chicks
- I recommend this style of feeder for chicks
- A brooder lamp like this one has a clamp and the watts you need to keep those chicks warm!
- Don’t forget the bulbs for your lamp!
- Transporting small birds? This dog carrier makes a great travel solution.
- Mixing up a dust bath? Add diatomaceous earth! It’s the best way to kill pests and get deep in feathers. Since it’s food grade, it’s safe for your birds!
- For injured birds, I recommend a care spray like this one. Keep it on hand!
- Did you know chickens need electrolytes, too? These electrolytes are what we give our birds when there’s a cold snap and they aren’t taking it well. Again – keep these on hand!
- Need a place to put your equipment in the off-season? We use industrial totes like these.
- Cleaning out your coop? Where a mask and protect your respiratory health!
Keep the conversation going!
I always love hearing about your homestead stories. Find me on Facebook and Instagram and tell me all about them! While you’re there, you can check on how our chickens are doing, how the garden is progressing, and what product I’m making next.
Are you interested in what I’ve created? Check out my shop page! My beauty products, ebooks, and other products are all housed there. I create these products to give you the best possible start to a more natural lifestyle and a stronger homestead. That’s my passion! Giving you the tools you need to thrive. Welcome to The Learning Life!
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