Chicken Coop Upgrades
There are several ways to improve the quality of life for your pasture chickens. In today’s times, organic, grass-fed, and free range are all words used to describe the life a chicken lives. It usually refers to how they are fed, where they live, and how they are treated on the farm. Upgrading your chicken coop is a step towards a positive change in your chickens’ lives.
1. Heating & Lighting
Chickens rely on a steady warm temperature all year around. They also rely on sunlight to function properly. This means you must keep heat lamps and properly placed lights around your chicken coop. A fully fitted chicken coop with insulation in the floors, walls, and ceilings will make your chickens very happy! The cold temperatures and shorter daylight hours during the winter have a huge impact on the life of your chickens. While it is entirely possible for them to survive extreme cold, chickens use so much energy keeping themselves warm that they’ll need extra food to maintain an optimal body temperature to lay eggs and stay healthy. They love light and heat. Should they have neither of those, they could experience frostbite or hypothermia.
2. Ventilation
Maintaining and upgrading your ventilation system inside your chicken coop is important. It prevents your chickens from overheating during the summer months. They may experience heatstroke if you’re not too careful. You may want to run fans or an air conditioner to keep your chickens cool.
You also want to keep in mind that ventilation is important for removing humidity because the moisture makes it more difficult for your chickens to stay cool. Moisture also makes it difficult to prevent your chickens from getting frostbite during the winter months. The more chickens there are in a coop, the more moisture is produced. A properly ventilated system in the summer and winter months will vastly improve your chickens quality of life.
3. Watering Systems
Your chickens depend on water for their health. Unless you change their water frequently, the water will freeze in the winter and your chickens will be dehydrated overnight. A water heater will stop water from freezing and you won’t have to worry about changing the water as frequently. It’s a quality of life change for your chickens and you!
4. Solar Energy
You probably noticed that a majority of these upgrades involve electricity. With everything else you have going on your farm, the price of electricity will likely increase. You can combat the price increase with a solar panel installation. Solar panels take in the sunlight (even during cloudy days) and turn that into electricity. It allows you to function your farm off the grid without the needless spending. There are several benefits to solar energy including financial grants you can receive to discount the cost.
Contact Us Today
8760 Solar Solutions is a dedicated solar technology company that is working to gear more farmers and residents towards solar. It will save the environment, your electricity bill, your home, and your crops and animals.