Raising chicken is a great way to have unused eggs each day , and it ’s fun for the whole kin . But what do you do if you do n’t want to build or buy a poulet henhouse ?
you may make your own DIY chicken coop with materials that are both easy - to - accession and free – or you may relinquish the coop entirely .
It ’s been about 4 year since we adjudicate to go sans coop with our own heap . Now , we kick upstairs chickens primarily inside poulet tractors ( though we have some birds that live inside a coop during the wintertime ) .
If you ’re concerned in ditching the hencoop – for whatever reason ! – this article will permit you know of alternatives you should reckon .
Reasons to Ditch the Coop
Free - range chickensare rise in popularity – raising crybaby in such a fashion exhibit many benefits in terms of both personal health and animal welfare .
However , there are other serious intellect to regard raising wimp without a hencoop , and you do n’t necessarily have to be interested in loose - ranging to do good .
The big disadvantage to keeping chickens “ cooped up ” is just that – they are being kept in a confined area and do n’t have room to roam around or spread their wings . This kind of travail can lead to many unwanted behavior , likefeather pecking and fighting .
When chickens are allowed to “ do their own affair , ” they can also avail cut your overall feed bill . They may be able to pick up essential nutrients and other items they want for digestion , like small rocks , as they forage about your lawn .
Of of course , let ’s not forget what I perceive as the large benefit of raise chickens without a coop – no more coop cleaning ! While you will still need to keep an eye on your troop and supervise each bird for potential health issues , you’re able to snog goodbye sidereal day of quarrel , mucking , and toiling over lousy litter .
at long last , raising chickens without a hencoop can lead to healthier shuttle while also allowing you to save clock time and money .
Get Rid of the Chicken Coop: 6 Alternatives
Here are some alternatives to raising poulet without a coop . There are a few considerations to make for each – I ’ll walk you through all aspect .
1. Free Range
complimentary - ranging is the first and most obvious alternative to lift chickens in a coop . Many Gallus gallus custodian do this to some extent – it ’s rarified to find someone who totally eschew a coop in favor of free - ranging .
There are a few problems with exclusive free - grade – but first , the welfare . Your chicken will be able to meander where they please , allowing them to convey their wild , most “ crybaby - ness ” selves . They can course on whatever they ’d care and will ultimately go their free lives .
However , you will have to worry about a motley of agent – namely , Gallus gallus wander wherever they would wish . You will need to be more vigilant for predatory animal and also verify you are n’t close to any neighbour , where your chickens may extend your relationships .
Ideally , this technique should be avoided in exclusivity unless you have , at the very least , an acre of land on which your volaille can roam .
Keep in mind that chickens leave behind a batch of poop . If you permit them free reach entirely , they ’ll poop all over your lawn , your lawn article of furniture , your garden decor , your porch – everywhere they go . There ’s also the job of where they will sleep – something that can become increasingly problematical as winter approaching .
This is why many chicken keepers only have a partially free range , select to lock up their chickens in at dark .
2. Chicken Tractors
This is my personal favorite alternative when it amount to ditching the henhouse . It is a very low - cost , low - tech option to the chicken coop that will set aside you to have the best of both worlds in raise chickens .
Achicken tractorcan be as eminent - tech as a cage on wheels or as low tech as a screened - in box that you slide around across the weed .
However , they all serve in the same way of life . You move the tractor once every few day ( in some case , every solar day ) , which allows the chickens to enjoy the slug , bug , snails , sens , widow’s weeds , and other tasty morsels on your lawn . They ’ll leave behind atomic number 7 - rich manure as they work out .
The good matter here is that since you ’re moving the tractor so often , no area ever becomes so overwhelmed with manure that it bolt down the works life . It does n’t get stinky and there ’s no cleaning involved .
you could instal roost andnesting boxesin such a social structure . Plus , the tractors allow for protection from marauder .
Of course , this might not be a twelvemonth - round selection , as the tractors can be visionary and difficult to move in big snow . That say , they ’re still a skillful choice for the majority of the year .
3. Fences
If you select not to invoke your chickens in any form of henhouse , you must invest some extra time and money in set ashore up your fence . Raising wimp without a chicken coop makes a vulnerable animal an even gentle dinner party for opportunistic predators . ensure you have tall fencing around your fowl to keep predator out .
you’re able to use portable poultry netting if you ’d like . This will allow you to put your chickens wherever it ’s most convenient at the time . You may also have to use metallic element stakes or wooden posts to assure your fencing or lie out some electrical wire as an superfluous prophylactic measure .
To prevent dig out predators , you may have to bury the telegram a few ft beneath the ground .
Here are more tips for deterringchicken predators .
If you adjudicate to bring up your chickens totally sans coop but still require to collect egg , consider placing out portable laying boxes . These can be placed under an overhang or awning to provide a comfortable spot for your hens to lie in ball ( and for you to find them when they ’re done ) .
4. Three-Sided Sheds
desire to skip the hencoop but still be able to offer some form of protection from the elements ? reckon using three - sided sheds . These structures have three wall and a roof but are typically heart-to-heart in the front , allowing your chicken to go in and out as they please while also providing some protection from the wind and rainwater .
Of course , they are n’t marauder - cogent evidence , and you ’ll still have some disbursal in build up this sort of anatomical structure , but they do offer a right compromise .
5. Utilize the Porch or Deck
Do you have a covered porch or deck of cards ? This might not work for everyone , but some people may be able to provide protection for their birds by station some laying boxes beneath the porch . This will extend protection from the elements and since it ’s so cheeseparing to the theatre , it might also offer some predatory animal protection .
6. Bring Them Inside?
This selection is certainly not for the deliquium of center – but if you raise chickens as favorite , it might be a viable option .
Some crybaby breed , likeSilkies , are sensitive to outdoor weather and therefore may do good from being indoor dearie . Remember , you ’ll have lots of manure to argue with – but making your chicken a house pet is still an option if you are so prepared !
What to Keep in Mind
Of course , a chicken cage has real benefit for a flock , too . The most obvious is protection , both from the element and from predators . A coop offer an obvious place for wimp to run to in the event of extreme cold , a driving rainstorm , or a predator attack .
Keeping chickens in a chicken coop also helps you keep track of your spate with ease , making it wanton for you to give care for them and monitor their health . Coops are idealistic if you are raising chicken in urban orbit or have limited property – you do n’t want them running off to your neighbors ’ flower beds , after all .
That ’s not to say that you have to keep chickens in a coop if one of these situations applies to you , though . If you consider choice like chicken tractors or porch “ coops ” , you may still keep an eye on your raft and keep them take . It can also make it easier for you to allow for necessities like intellectual nourishment and body of water to your chicken and to preventflighty birdsfrom skipping over to the neighbor ’s property .
Ultimately , make a volaille coop is a great convenience , but it can be expensive and time - consume to sustain .
Why not try raise chickens without one ?
These option offer many of the same benefits as a traditional chicken coop . They can be easygoing on your budget , provide protection for your flock , and take up less space in general than an enclosed structure .
If you ’ve been thinking about get chicken but are defy back because you do n’t have a coop , try one of the alternatives list above – and if you already have a henhouse occupy with chickens , recall carefully about whether it ’s rightfully necessary . A loose muckle is waiting for you !
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