If this isn’t possible, a permanent weatherproof cladding or a roll-down/roll-up blind on one or two sides of your run may work well. You might be able to position your coop close to a weather barrier such as a fence, trees or a wall. It’s a good idea to have some weather protection from the prevailing wind to avoid driving rain from entering the run. Build up the area with rocks or scoria if needed. Locate your coop in a well-drained area as we do not want water flowing into it. This provides each hen with plenty of room to scratch around in, sunbathe and dustbathe. I like to allow around 1 square metre per hen for the chicken run. They love to pack in together at night so a large amount of space is not needed. This is actually quite a lot of room as hens will only tend to be inside for sleeping and laying eggs. Inside the chicken coop, you should allow ¼ of a square metre per hen. The following chart shows the maximum number of hens you can keep for your sized property on the Mornington Peninsula BEFORE needing to apply for a permit: Chicken feed must be stored in a rodent-proof receptacle and chicken manure must not be allowed to build up and cause offence to neighbours. Most Councils in Victoria require that coops and runs are positioned at least 1.5 M from any boundary, are kept clean and rodent-free, and must not cause any annoyance to neighbours. This post is based on our first Winter Series Presentation done on Sunday the 19th of June, 2022 with the video available here or at the conclusion of this post.įirstly, I’d like to define a couple of key terms:Ĭhicken coop = the fully enclosed “house” for hens to be dry, safe and warm inĬhicken run = an “enclosure” that connects to or encapsulates the chicken coop Legal responsibilities – how many chickens can you keep? Finally, we list some of the common myths and misconceptions that we have heard over the years and provide some facts to help inform the reader. We have also applied our knowledge of poultry keeping best practices and reducing risks of disease and pests affecting chickens. In this post, we look at some practical information that we have gained over nearly a decade of speaking with our backyard chicken-loving customers. There are many important elements that need to be carefully considered when thinking of buying, building or altering a chicken coop.
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