Basic infrastructure requirements for poultry

If you're thinking about getting some chickens, what are the basic things that you will need? In this first part of our on-line course in chicken keeping we cover the fundamental infrastructure requirements of your birds.

Chickens and hens are quite sturdy animals but they need a controlled environment, the right food and clean water. Let's look at each of these elements in turn.

A controlled environment

You will need to provide a suitable chicken coop or a run that is large enough to house the number of hens that you want. In general it is better to go larger than trying to confine the animals in a smaller space. They will be less prone to catching any disease, they will be happier, healthier and the welfare of the animals will be improved.

You can either buy a chicken coop ready-made or you can build one yourself. Whether to go for a prefabricated or a DIY option probably depends on your carpentry skills. On the market today there are hundreds of good hen houses that you can buy. They are relatively inexpensive and are a good alternative to building your own coop.

The hens will need to roam and to scratch about. They are only periodically confined to the coop for example; at night time, to lay eggs or for shelter. So you must have some space for them to freely move about outside. This can be an area of garden that you set aside or it can be an area in an allotment or other land that you have access to. In general we would recommend that you allow 2 m² each bird as a minimum. The land that they run around in must also be safe from any predators. To achieve this you will need to fence the area. The extent of the fencing depends to some degree on what type of predators you may have in the environment. Foxes and cats are the most common predators today in the UK. To prevent foxes you will need to fence the run to a height of approximately 1.8 m, alternatively you can buy one of the caged run products that effectively provides a net above and to the sides of the chicken run. This additonally provides protection from predatory birds.

Within the henhouse, you will will provide a nesting area for the birds for when they are laying or when they become broody. You will also need to provide a perch as chickens will tend to perch at night to sleep as opposed to sleeping on the floor.

Maintenance of the coop will also be a consideration. You will need to keep the coop clean and free from any ticks and parasites that may cause trouble from time to time. There are products on the market to help you with this task.

The timber based products are probably the best option for hen houses. Timber provides a natural environment which is less susceptible to condensation and damp and the ventilation of the henhouse is easier. We would recommend avoiding synthetic products when buying or building chicken coop's and runs.

Inside the henhouse you should provide some kind of floor covering. Popular options include wood shavings, straw, shredded newspaper or hessian. Avoid using hay as it tends to develop mould which can be harmful to the birds. As a tip, it is worth sprinkling the flooring material and especially the bedding material with an anti-louse powder to help protect the birds from lice.

How often you clean out be the coop will depend on weather conditions and the number of birds that you have so it's difficult to give a rule of thumb. Use your common sense to determine how dirty the flooring is and to decide whether or not it needs changing.

The right food.

You will need to provide the right food for your chickens. You can buy purpose made foods which are probably your best option as they contain most of the vitamins and nutrients that they need. Purpose made foods are often called pellets or mash. The former is probably a cleaner and better option in most cases as the mash can be a little messy.

Of the pellet products, you will find them categorised into foods that are suitable at different stages and times of the chickens lives. For example point of lay birds (this is a term used to describe hens that are between 18 to 20 weeks old and are starting to lay eggs) will be fed on layers pellets. This contains the nutrients they need to keep them healthy and improve the colour and texture of the eggs that they produce.

Young the birds, from chicks to point of lay will be fed on growers pellets which again contain the right balance of vitamins and minerals that they need at this stage in their life.

In addition to these fundamental pellet types there are numerous supplements that you can give your birds. Supplements can be enriched with antibacterial medicines that help to protect your birds from illness and promote healthy growth. You can also feed your chickens on many of the table scraps that you have in the household. Nearly all vegetable matter is suitable.

Allowing your birds to run in a free range manner should mean that they have access to get all of the calcium in the grit that they need naturally. They need these nutrients to build strong shells. In addition the grit helps them in breaking up their food and aids digestion. Crushed Oyster shells can be used in addition to grit to provide extra calcium.

Water

A fundamental requirement for the birds is access to fresh clean water. Ensure that the water is provided in a suitable drinker which is large enough to hold a decent volume while at the same time is easy to the birds to access. There are many products on the market that you can choose from both plastic and steel. The galvanised products will last a long time but they tend to be heavier. On the plus side they are easier to fill and tend to keep the water fresher for longer.

The cleanliness of the water will be always an issue with the birds. You have to balance the act of providing sufficient quantities of good clean water within easy reach with being able to keep that supply clean. The birds will spoil their water with their faeces so you will need to clean this once or twice a day.