Now that we’ve gone over a great deal of the information you need to successfully build a chicken coop, it’s time to talk about one last factor, maintenance. Since you’ve put in a good effort getting your coop up and running, it would be a shame to let it start to disintegrate over time due to lack of care. Fortunately, maintaining and repairing a chicken coop isn’t all that difficult provided you stay on top of things regularly.

Here are some of the main things you should know about.

Pay Attention To The Door

Since the door is one area of the coop that’s going to be constantly moving as you go in and out to feed the chickens, it’s something you’ll want to watch and maintain regularly. If the latch is becoming loose, be sure you fix this immediately so your chickens don’t find a way to escape out.

If you find that you’re regularly having issues with it, you may want to consider either replacing the door altogether or else just finding a more secure latch and being sure it’s bolted to the door properly.

Each farmer will have their own preference when it comes to the opening door so figure out what works best for you.

Regularly Check Your Fence

Another aspect of the chicken house that should be monitored at least once a month is the structure of the fence. If you do have predators that come around frequently, they may attempt to get in which can impact the stableness of your fence, calling for some rebuilding if necessary.

Some fences are also quite prone to falling over after so much time, so walk around and test various areas of the fence to see how well it’s standing up still.

Check The Feeders

Keeping a close eye on the feeders located in the chicken coop is also vital since these will be used on a daily basis. In some cases if the feeders are very beat up it could be a signal you should consider installing another one into the coop as the chickens may be constantly fighting over food and picking at the feeder.

You also want to watch how your chickens are responding to the feeder height. In some cases you’ll get chickens who prefer a feeder to be slightly lower or higher than how you placed it, so adjusting this as time goes in is important for the overall comport of your chickens.

Usually it just needs to be adjusted an inch or two, but this makes a huge difference in how easily they can access their food.

So, don’t neglect the maintenance of your chicken coop. If you decided to go with a mobile chicken coop you’ll find that maintenance does tend to be quite a bit easier since you can just move the coop to wherever you are. If you didn’t, than that just means regularly planning maintenance into your weekly or monthly schedule as you see fit.

After you’ve figured out the basics for constructing your actual chicken coop, then comes thinking about the accessories you can add to the coop to increase the chances of a high amount of fresh eggs every morning and enhance your chicken’s comfort level.

There are a number of different accessories you can add to your chicken coop, and the decision of which you will add will be a personal preference. It’s important to get the basics covered however since they will be vital for your coop’s health.

Here are some of the main ones to consider.

Feeders

Choosing a good chicken feeder to include in your chicken coop will give them easy access to food to ensure they’re eating properly. This will be important for their overall growth and egg development, so make sure you’re building a good quality feeder.

Also look at the specific height you place the feeder in the house as this too can influence how comfortably their able to get at their food.

Nesting Boxes

You can get chicken nesting boxes in a variety of different shapes and sizes and can build them out of many common materials you have around the house such as a large plastic pale or an old wooden box. You should use one nesting box for 2-4 hens that you have and they should be relatively dark inside.

It’s also smart to build the top of the nesting box on a bit of an angle to discourage them from sleeping on top of the box.

Waterier

Having a good chicken waterier inside the coop will help ensure your chickens have a good supply of fresh water on a regular basis. With this again you can use many items you have right around the house to help cut down on the cost and make it more convenient for you.

If you are building a larger sized chicken coop it will be a good idea to include two wateriers if you can to give your chickens a bit more access to fresh water when they need it.

Perches

Finally, the last thing you should think about is adding a good chicken perch to your coop. This will help ensure your chickens are getting a comfortable night’s sleep so they are better able to lay their eggs.

Like the waterier, be sure you’re providing enough perches for the chickens so they don’t have to fight for room. Also make sure your perches are wide enough to comfortably fit the chickens since as they grow they will likely need a bit more room to sleep comfortably.

So, keep these accessories in mind. You always want to make sure you’re building your chicken house with enough room to add these accessories while still allowing for plenty of space to move around. Having an overcrowded chicken coop will severely limit the total eggs you produce so this isn’t something to take lightly.