How to make a chicken coop and run

Keeping chickens is everything its cracked up to be! They provide fresh eggs almost daily, make excellent pets, and their droppings make a great fertiliser for the garden. You can buy coops from most hardware stores but wheres the fun in that? Try making your own from an existing cubby it may be too small for your kids, but its just right for chooks! If you dont have one, check classifieds or council clean-ups. So shake a tail feather and get to it!

Well-laid tips

- All hens lay eggs, but certain types are more productive than others, and for egg-laying birds, crossbred chooks are best. The right time to buy a chicken is when it reaches maturity and is at the point of lay. Before you rush out to buy, check with your local council to see if there are any restrictions on keeping chickens. Look out for Sussex, Australorp and White Leghorn, or speak to your local breeder for types suited to your area and needs.

- So your hens just laid an egg, shes acting broody and youre wondering how long before a fluffy chick appears? Sorry to disappoint, but a hen cant have babies without a rooster. Dont worry though, this wont affect your egg harvest, as hens are very independent ladies and do not need a male around to produce eggs she will do so no matter what, until she can lay no more.

- For a border of sweet-smelling and chook-friendly plants around your coop, create a mini hedge of lavender and wormwood. You can also cut up the lavender to put in the nesting box to stop lice and mites, and wormwood helps prevent nasty parasites, like lice and intestinal worms.