1. Providing suitable accommodation
Hens need to be housed in a structure that protects
them from the elements as well as from predators (foxes,
cats, dogs, rats, snakes, etc). At the same time it needs to
have good ventilation and be practical in design to allow
easy cleaning and movement. Hygiene is very important
in maintaining the health of the flock. Chicken coop plans
can be soured from websites including:
chickencoopplans.com.au
howtobuildachickencoop.com.au
chickencoopsaustralia.com.au
The Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals:
Domestic Poultry, published by the CSIRO, is a useful
resource to help people who are responsible for the
welfare and husbandry of domestic poultry. The code
recognises that the basic requirement for welfare
of poultry is a husbandry system appropriate to their
physiological and behavioural needs. The code is
available from CSIRO Publishing, visit
publish.csiro.au
.