Keeping a few hens gives you fresh eggs and good compost, and the greenhouse crops get the benefit. The coop is the biggest purchase, and a bad one makes the daily work hard. Here is what to look for.
Register your birds
In England and Wales you must register with the government within one month of keeping poultry, even if you keep fewer than 50 birds or keep them as pets. You do this on gov.uk. Scotland has its own guidance. Registration means you hear about outbreaks of bird flu near you, and during an outbreak keepers can be ordered to house their birds, so a covered run is useful to have.
Size
Many cheap wooden coops claim to house more hens than they comfortably can. Treat the number on the box as an upper limit, and plan for fewer hens than it says. Hens need room to perch at night and space to move in the run by day. More room means fewer fights and healthier birds.
Keep the fox out
The fox is the main threat to backyard hens in the UK.
- Use strong welded mesh on the run. Thin chicken wire does not stop a determined fox.
- Bury the mesh at the edges or lay it flat outwards on the ground, so foxes cannot dig under.
- Close the hens in the coop every night, or fit an automatic door.
- Check that every door and lid has a secure catch.
Easy cleaning
You clean the coop every week, so make it easy.
- A pull-out droppings tray saves the most work.
- An opening roof or large side door lets you reach every corner.
- Nest boxes with an outside lid let you collect eggs without going in.
Red mite
Red mite hides in cracks in wooden coops and feeds on the hens at night. Check perches, joints and corners often, especially in summer, and treat at the first sign.
Placement
Put the coop on level ground, in partial shade, out of the wind. Moving it now and then gives the grass under the run time to recover.
Find our picks for chicken coops below and more grow-your-own kit under grow your own.
