One thing I love about Farm + Yard is hearing stories from real customers about how they are using our products in their lives. So many people have become more organized through storage sheds and you wouldn’t believe how many people are creating a SHEdquarters to give Mom the escape she deserves.
My favorite stories, though, start out with a similar phrase, “I was drinking a beer (or wine) and scrolling through poultry websites….”
This is exactly the kind of behavior that brings people to owning chickens as pets. And this is exactly the kind of behavior that we promote at Farm + Yard.
Raising chickens in the suburbs isn’t just the chic thing for empty-nesters – the practice brings a lot of wonder and joy to people’s lives. Of course, I could go on and on about how great it is to put your fresh, beautiful, free-range eggs in one basket every single day, but I think that’s a given.
Chickens are more than egg-layers. They are pets – they become part of the family. Chickens offer so many opportunities to give kids responsibilities and I won’t even go into the benefits of the humane lifestyle raised chickens have compared to factory chickens. Plus, chickens are one of the most low-maintenance pets you’ll ever have, except for maybe a hermit crab.
Chickens do so much for your yard. First, they are also compost machines. They can turn any kitchen scrap that you may have thrown away into a nutrient-rich garden addition. How? Poop. Did you know chickens are also poop machines?
They are.
Second, they are master landscapers. They disguise themselves as insect ninjas, finding the tiniest insect and to hunt down for a mid-afternoon snack. While they are searching for their snack, they are landscaping your yard so you don’t have to waste time on the weekends with that pesky chore.
In fact, chickens do a lot for you. It’s only fair that you show the love and give your chickens a great coop.
Here are the two reasons why chickens need a coop:
Safety
As much as I’ve heard the “I was drinking wine and looking at chicken coop pictures on Instagram” story, I’ve heard the “my chickens were killed” story. It’s awful. After all, chickens become a part of the family and you don’t want to wake up to see that something awful has happened.
A coop can provide the security that chickens need to hide from foxes, raccoons, dogs, or larger birds.
As you may have heard, birds of a feather flock together. What does that really mean? Chickens like friends, human and poultry – they will befriend the other chickens and they will want to do things together. Keeping all of the animals safe is imperative.
Climate
Yes, chickens are adaptable to weather, but we want to shelter them from the harsh conditions as best we can, especially the rain. Chickens will get their feathers in a ruffle if left out in the rain. No one wants that.
You’ll also find chickens trying to keep themselves cool in the summer to regulate their body temperature. Help them out by providing some shade to cool off and good ventilation in those awful Texas summers.
Chickens need a coop so they can literally breathe life into your backyard. Coops come in all sizes to fit your needs and lifestyle for you and your feathered friends. Remember, you should allow about 4 sq. ft. of space per hen so they have space to move around. Chickens are curious animals; they will get bored and develop bad habits if they don’t have a healthy environment and coop. And, of course, as with any animal, the more space the better.
Come in and have a look around our location in Robinson, Texas. We have a few chicken coops in stock for you to look and to decide what works best for your yard.
Or are you chicken?
