Chicken Coop Accessories

A chicken coop is more than four walls and a door. Well, it can be that minimal, but don’t your feathered friends deserve better? After all, happy chickens lay better (and more) eggs. To get the most enjoyment out of raising poultry, there are a number of different accessories you can add to turn that chicken house into a chicken home. I’m not talking about pimping out your coop with iPod jacks and little chicken massage tables—just a few basics to make things more comfortable.

Here are the most basic chicken coop accessories:

Nesting Boxes: If you plan to collect eggs, you have to provide a nice quiet, clean place for your hens to lay.  Fill your box with clean wood shavings or straw. Most nesting boxes have a sloped top to discourage hens from sitting there (what a mess that would be.) You’ll need one box for every two to four hens. And it’s nice if they have an opening to give you easy access to the eggs.

Roosting Bars: These are just simple wooden bars, elevated off the ground, where your chickens will happily chill out and sleep. Some people think chickens sleep in the nesting boxes, but those are only for laying eggs. The birds prefer to sleep on a roost.

Heat Lamps: Chickens get cold just like you do. They can’t exactly stoke up the fireplace, so you may need to consider a heat source in the colder months of the year.

Chicken Runs: A chicken run (besides being a GREAT movie!) is a wire enclosed area where the birds can run around, peck and scratch at the ground without being in danger from predators. Runs are usually attached to the coop so the birds can retreat in bad weather.

Electric Light: Your hens need light or they won’t lay eggs. This is especially true in northern areas where the light levels decrease significantly in winter months. So, if your coop has solid walls and no windows (or dirty windows), be sure to add in some safe electric lighting.

Whether you plan to build your own chicken coop or purchase one online, give your chicks a healthy and happy place to grow up. You’ll be rewarded with your own miniature-farm that produces fresh eggs and great big smiles every day.

All these items can be ordered online through Chicken Coop Source.com

We recommend purchasing there because of their no-nonsense pricing guarantee, easy return policy and legendary customer service.