A Simple Guide to Managing Village Poultry in South Africa/Housing

From Poultry Hub

Housing

• Chickens need a good strong house. Chickens should be locked up at night to protect them from bad weather, predators, and thieves. A house will also allow you to inspect the birds and to handle them to see if any are sick or need attention. It allows you to collect their eggs from the same place.

• Plan very carefully where you build the chicken house. You will need a shady, dry, safe place on flat ground to keep the floor dry during the rainy season. It may be necessary to dig a drain around the house, or to raise the ground first.

• The house can be made cheaply using local material like gumpoles, reeds and thatch grass. You must see what is available. It should be situated close to your own house with the grass and bush cleared for about 3 paces (metres) on all sides of the house to keep snakes and rats away from your chickens. Some houses are built on poles, well above the ground. This protects chickens from predators (thieves) like dogs, rats, snakes and humans.

• The size of the house will depend on how many birds you have. For 10 – 15 adult birds, the size of the house should be about 2 large paces (metres) wide by 2 large paces (metres) long. It is better that the house is too big than too small.

• The house should have a secure door; it should allow plenty of light and air movement. It should keep the chickens dry and protected from the wind. There should be perches, as hens like to sleep above (off) the floor of the house.

• In the house put a feeder and a water container. This can be made cheaply from a tin can or a clay jar upturned in a shallow container. Move the drinker frequently to different places in the shed as the ground gets wet around the drinker.

• The chicken home should be kept clean by raking the dirt floor inside the house often. You can put litter (bedding) like wood shavings or finely chopped grass on the floor if you have some available. Manure and litter should be removed at least once a month and left to rot before putting it on your vegetable garden. Your vegetables will then grow much better.
  

See also

• A Simple Guide to Managing Village Poultry in South Africa - Background & Introduction
• A Simple Guide to Managing Village Poultry in South Africa - Breeding and Hatching
• A Simple Guide to Managing Village Poultry in South Africa - Rearing and Management
• A Simple Guide to Managing Village Poultry in South Africa - Feeding
• A Simple Guide to Managing Village Poultry in South Africa - Health