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Checklist

Rate your coop

Walk out to the coop with your phone. Answer each line honestly, and you get a score out of 100 and a short list of what to fix first. Nothing you enter leaves this page or gets saved.

Foxes and other predators

Every bird is shut in a fully enclosed house every night. 24
The house has a fox-proof door, roof and floor, with no gaps. 4
The run has a netting roof, or a fence with an outward overhang. 45
Digging is blocked: netting buried at least 450 mm, an outward apron of 300 to 600 mm, or a solid floor. 45
Netting holes are 50 mm or smaller and the wire is thicker than 0.9 mm. 5
You check the whole perimeter for damage at least once a week. 2
Overhanging branches are trimmed and the coop is fully roofed, so snakes and rats cannot drop in. 2

Space and comfort

The floor or run area meets the RSPCA minimum for your flock. 1

Perches are timber, at least 50 cm off the floor, with at least 15 cm of roost per bird. 1
There is at least one nest box for every 2 to 4 hens, each about 30 cm by 30 cm. 1
Litter and nesting material are kept clean and dry. 1

Health and hazards

The run drains well and hens stay off wet, muddy ground. 3
The ground gets spelled or rotated, or the coop moves. 3
Feed and water sit under shelter, out of reach of wild birds and rodents. 67
Rat baits, garden poisons and medicines are out of reach, and ponds and troughs are blocked off. 2
New birds are kept apart from the flock for 14 days after they arrive. 67

How the score works

This is our own editorial scoring, not an official standard, a vet check or a legal test. Each line comes from the guidance listed below. The points are our judgement of how much each line matters, with night security and fox-proofing weighted most heavily. Yes earns full points, partly earns half and no earns none. Points are out of 100.

Sources

  1. What housing do I need for my chickens?, RSPCA Knowledgebase
  2. How do I keep my chickens safe in my yard?, RSPCA Knowledgebase
  3. How can the risk of disease and parasites be managed in cage-free layer hen housing systems?, RSPCA Knowledgebase
  4. Protecting your poultry: fox-proof pen design, Brisbane City Council
  5. Fencing for fox control, PestSmart
  6. Keeping backyard poultry, Agriculture Victoria
  7. Guidance for backyard biosecurity, Agriculture Victoria