This post is all about low maintenance backyard chicken keeping.
Raising chickens in your backyard is rewarding, but it doesn’t have to be time-consuming or overwhelming. Whether you have a busy schedule or just want to keep things simple, this post discusses some practical tips for managing a small flock with minimal effort. Low maintenance backyard chicken keeping is much more achievable than you may think. Follow these tips to check your low maintenance chicken coop up and running, so you can enjoy farm fresh eggs, with minimal effort!
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Low Maintenance Backyard Chicken Keeping
Step 1: Set Up a Low-Maintenance Coop
First and foremost, if you want to achieve low maintenance backyard chicken keeping, you need to set up a low maintenance chicken coop. A well-designed coop makes a huge difference in how much time you spend on daily chicken chores. With proper setup, you won’t need to spend more than a few minutes each day out at your coop most days. The majority of your time at the coop, will simply be enjoying your flock, and bonding with them! Here are some critical elements of a low maintenance chicken coop:
Automatic Chicken Coop Door
One of the best time-saving investments is an automatic chicken coop door. It opens and closes based on the sunlight, so you don’t have to wake up early to let your flock out, or rush home at dusk to secure your flock for the night. Chickens are prey animals, and cannot see well at night. So chickens will naturally put themselves to bed for the night. The automatic door will then keep them secure for the night.
Be sure to get your automatic door from a reputable company because it is important for the door to work properly and reliably, or else it could be dangerous for your flock. This one from Run Chicken is popular among chicken enthusiasts, and for good reason. The door comes with 2 AA NiMh rechargeable batteries that are charged from a solar panel with up to 5 years of battery life. It is solar powered and works flawlessly even in extreme weather -15°F to 140°F. It comes with all needed accessories and is super easy to mount yourself.
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Easy Clean Nesting Pads
In order to get clean and healthy eggs, you need to ensure your chickens have constant access to clean nesting boxes. This can be easily achieved with either easy to clean nesting pads, or replaceable nesting pads that can be easily switched out as needed.
Easy To Clean Nesting Pads: These washable silicon nesting pads are great because they can be quickly, and easily hosed off to ensure they are always nice and clean for your chickens.
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Replaceable Nesting Pads: For my own flock, I am a big fan of the Eaton Pet and Pasture Replaceable Nesting Pads. My birds love scratching around, and getting them just right to lay their beautiful eggs. The box comes with 10. I only change them out once a month, unless they get visibly dirty before then.
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Step 2: Simplify Feeding & Watering
Manually refilling food and water daily can be tedious. Switching to feeders that hold a lot of feed, and keep pests away saves you a lot of time and hassle. (See: 7 Best Waste-Free Chicken Feeders) The same goes for water. Get a waterer that holds a lot of water, so you don’t need to refill it every day.
Feeder:
This Rent A Coop Feeder ensures your chickens always have access to food while preventing waste and keeping rodents out. It holds 10 lbs. of feed, has 4 feeding ports, and even includes an anti-roost cone. The anti-roost cone prevents the chickens from roosting on top of the feeder. Eliminating the need to constantly clean chicken poop off of the feeder also supports the goal of low maintenance backyard chicken keeping!
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Waterer:
This 5-Gallon Rent A Coop Waterer is perfect for a low-maintenance coop. It holds tons of water, and the 4-horizontal nipples keep dirt and debris out of the chicken water, so you don’t need to change out the water each day! You’ll quickly learn with chickens that they get dirt and dust (And poop) everywhere! With other waterers, the water constantly gets dirty. So even if it holds a lot of water, you still need to change out the water, often daily, because it gets so dirty. This waterer keeps the water filled, and clean! It’s also designed for corner placement, so it doesn’t take up as much space in your chicken run.
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Step 3: Cut Down on Coop Cleaning Time
Keeping the coop clean doesn’t have to be a daily chore. A few simple upgrades, and choosing the right bedding and equipment can make maintenance quicker and easier. (See: How To Maintain A Clean Chicken Coop)
Bedding:
Sand is a great low-maintenance chicken coop bedding. It’s also great bedding for keeping a healthy flock. Sand doesn’t hold bacteria as much like other bedding options, it dries quickly, and provides ample dust bathing spots for your flock. Dust bathing helps chickens stay clean and pest free. It’s also very easy to clean, because you can just scoop and sift, similar to how you clean kitty litter boxes. Mixing in a PDZ Coop Refresher and Nesting Herbs is also a great way to control odors.
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Cleaning Tool
This Chicken Coop Scooper works amazingly with sand, but can work for other bedding as well. It also doubles as a rake. This scooper was specifically designed for cleaning chicken coops and runs, so it’s really effective at getting the job does efficiently. It’s well worth it given how much easier it makes chicken chores.
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Step 4: Minimize Predator Risks Without Extra Effort
Keeping predators away from your flock is one of the more stressful parts of chicken keeping. No one wants to lose one of their feathered friends to a predator.
There’s several things you can equip your coop with to keep predators away from your flock. Some of which include solar powered lights and Animal Barrier fencing (to prevent animals from digging into your coop). Also, be sure to use the appropriate hardware cloth when building your coop. Do NOT use chicken wire. Chicken wire keeps chickens in, it does NOT keep predators out. You’ll also want to use at least a 2-step locking mechanism on your coop doors. A general rule of thumb is that if a young toddler could figure out the lock…so could a racoon. They are surprisingly smart.
Step 5: Keep Chickens Entertained Without Extra Work
Bored chickens can develop bad habits like feather pecking, aggression among the flock, and even health problems. The key is providing enrichment that doesn’t require constant attention. Especially if you don’t have time to spend with them every day, or an area where they can safely free-range for a large part of the day, enrichment items in the coop are essential. (See: 15 Best Chicken Coop Toys To Provide Enrichment For Your Flock)
Here are a few “fan favorite” chicken coop toys:
Best Selling Chicken Coop Toys For Low Maintenance Backyard Chicken Keeping
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Final Thoughts…
You don’t need a huge amount of time or effort to keep a happy, healthy backyard flock. By automating key tasks, using easy-clean solutions, and predator-proofing effectively, you can enjoy fresh eggs without feeling overwhelmed. Whether you have four chickens or a few more, these simple tips will help you manage your flock with ease!
What You’ll Find Here
Are you eager to embrace the homesteading lifestyle, but worried about not having enough land? Fear not, for you don’t need vast acres to become a mini homesteader. With a little creativity and effort, you can transform your backyard into a thriving homestead, complete with chickens and a garden. Imagine the satisfaction of growing your own food and using it to whip up delicious, healthy meals. And if you’re ready to take the plunge and raise backyard chickens, you’ve come to the right place. This is where we’ll guide you through the world of modern homesteading.
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