coop building questions | Keeping Chickens Newsletter

Chickens eating the insulation from their coop

Brad : My chickens have pecked some insulation in the coop, and may have ingested some?? they are getting cabin fever ! Should we also not eat the eggs for a few weeks? I always cover over places where they peck to prevent this but sometimes they get at it before I see it. I always feed them certified organic feed.

My Reply : I’m not 100{b0ded004bdc346b73b2f7c5643ec4b44c0fd04baf547e743db44006f5c758b8f} sure about the effects of eating insulation on their eggs – it is something lots of chickens do if they can get access to it and the chickens themselves are usually fine (although obviously try not to let them keep doing it) and I am sure there will have been many people continue to eat their eggs without any adverse effects. There might be no risks at all, but when medicine that has not been lab tested specifically for chickens is prescribed by a vet they will very often recommend leaving the eggs for a couple of weeks to be on the safe side, so as there might be chemicals in the insulation it may be also wise to leave the eggs for a couple of weeks for peace of mind.

Does a chicken coop need windows?

Tony : hi I’m still in the process of finishing off the run then bring on the chickens. My coop has no windows in it is this OK?

My Reply : Chickens quite like dark secluded areas for their nesting areas so not having a window is not necessarily a problem. A lot of coops (especially small ones) don’t have any windows. With large walk-in coops in particular, windows can be quite nice to allow some extra light and air in whenever the weather is good and can also make it a bit more pleasant for you when working in there.

Either way, there should be ventilation in the coop (but no drafts). If there isn’t already ventilation provided in the coop then cutting holes or small window shapes into the walls of the coop can be one way of providing some (and would also allow a little light in). Small holed hardware cloth nailed to the inside of the coop to cover them should prevent anything using the ventilation holes as an entrance. Overall, light is important for your chickens so if it is a larger coop and they are in it a lot it would be better for them if it did have some extra natural light. If they are out and about for most of the day and only in there when laying an egg or roosting, having a window won’t really make too much difference to them (and they probably will be getting some light in from their entrance and the bits of ventilation etc.)