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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who do I call if I need more information about a chicken coop?
2. Is it cheaper for me to buy direct from the supplier?
3. How did you choose the chicken coop suppliers on your website?
4. What kind of hens should I buy? Which are the best layers?
5. Where can I buy ready-to-lay hens?
6. How many eggs can I expect?
7. Where can I buy chicken egg incubators?
8. What should I feed my chickens?
9. Should eggs be refrigerated?
10. How much space does a chicken need?
11. How important are perches?
12. How many nests / nesting boxes do I need?
13. How many eggs can I expect my hens to lay?
14. Will my council let me keep roosters and chickens in my residential area?
15. What more do I need to know about raising backyard chickens?

1. "Who do I call if I need more information about a chicken coop?"

Either email the chicken coop supplier directly using the form provided or call them if a phone number is provided. Please return to ChickenCoops.co.nz to finish your transaction.

2. "Is it cheaper for me to buy direct from the supplier?"

No. The price stated on the chicken coop website is the same as what you would pay direct to the chicken coop supplier (it may vary by a few dollars).

I ask that you finish your purchase through this website, but if you don't, then please at least let the supplier know that you found out about them through this website, because I am trusting them to pay me a commission in either case (its the only way I generate revenue, suppliers don't pay to be listed on this website).

3. "How did you choose the chicken coop suppliers on your website?"

I have chosen 1 primary supplier for each region of New Zealand. They must have good reputations, good customer service, good product range, quality workmanship, good pricing, and reasonable freight costs.

I have communicated with each supplier several times by phone and email to ensure they are quick to respond to my enquiries (and yours). I trust them to provide you with a quality customer experience when you buy one of their chicken coops.

4. "What kind of hens should I buy? Which are the best layers?"

Light Breeds are good egg producers. Examples: Ancona, Leghorns, Minorca and Hyline Browns.

Heavy Breeds grow heavy at a young age so were originally breed for meat, but now they are good egg producers too. Examples: Dorkings, Orpingtons, Sussex, Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks and Wyandotte

You can buy either "point-of-lay pullet's" which are young hens 16-18 weeks old who have not yet started to lay eggs but will do so in the next 2-3 weeks. Or you can buy "end-of-lay hens" from a commercial egg producer.

5. "Where can I buy ready-to-lay hens?"

Here's a list of 11 Pullet Growers around the country that can supply you with hens up to 18-20 weeks old (just before they start laying):

1. Drury: Colin Reddish, Phone (09) 294 9222 or 027 294 9222
2. Hamilton: Streamline Poultry (Steven Turner), Phone: (07) 847 6859 or 027 493 5448. Address: 416 Koromatua Rd, Frankton, Hamilton
3. Levin: Golden Coast Commercial, Phone: 021 937 324
4. Nelson: Lorna Wills, Phone: (03) 547 6823
5. Nelson: Len Youngman, Phone: (03) 528 4030
6. Marlborough: Len Goodsir, Phone: (03) 5716 176
7. Blenheim: Steve Fisher, Phone 021 228 3528
8. Timaru: Murray Gibson, Phone (03) 688 2627
9. Timaru: Norma King, Phone (03) 696 3848
10. Milton: Colin Carr, Phone (03) 417 8259
11. Dunedin: Arthur Wilson, Phone (03) 489 3664

(Thanks to Trevor Clarke at Tegal for this info)

6. "How many eggs can I expect?"

Free Range layers produce about 240 eggs a year (annual production of about 65%).

In Winter, production will drop to about 30% as the hens respond to the shorter day lengths (i.e. 30 eggs in 90 days).

In Spring, Summer and Autumn, they will lay almost every day when in their prime, but expect them to miss an egg or two a week when very young, and when old.

7. "Where can I buy chicken egg incubators?"

www.NZIncubators.co.nz seem pretty on to it

8. "What should I feed my chickens?"

0 to 6 Weeks: Chick Starter Feed
6 to 17 Weeks: Pullet grower feed
17 Weeks +: Layer feed

It is important to feed a properly balanced diet to ensure that birds develop correctly and lay well. Feeding scraps will not ensure that the birds requirement for protein and vitamins and minerals is met. Feeding grains such as wheat only is also inadequate because there is insufficient protein.

The modern layer such as the Hyline Brown has an extremely high production potential (350 eggs per bird to 80 weeks of age), to achieve performance at or near this level requires that the birds nutritional requirements are met.

(Thanks to Trevor Clarke at Tegal for this info)

9. "Should eggs be refrigerated?"

Yes, they should! Eggs will rapidly deteriorate in quality when kept at warm room temperature. 3 days at room temperature is the same as 3 weeks in the fridge.

10. "How much space does a chicken need?"

Allow approximately 3 hens per square metre. Eg 10 chickens will need 3.3 square metres.

11. "How important are perches?"

Very important.

The average hen also needs approximately 250mm perch space. Without perches, chickens will perch on anything available including nests, feeders.

At night, and without perches, the birds will crowd into a corner of the hen house and soon a hard cake of manure will form.

If the hens claws and feathers get dirty and caked with droppings, the dirt will be transferred to the nest and subsequently to any eggs.

By providing perches for roosting, you eliminate crowding, your hens will be less "flighty" and your eggs will be much cleaner.

12. "How many nests / nesting boxes do I need?"

As a rule, provide one nest box (30cm wide x 35cm deep x 32cm high) per maximum of 5 hens.

Nests need to be clean, comfortable and fairly dark to ensure seclusion from the rest of the hen house. Nesting material can be straw, wood shavings or bracken (which tend to repel parasites from infecting the nest), and should be at least 100mm deep. Shallow nests cause fighting and encourage feather pecking and cannibalisation.

It is important that the nest be kept clean so as not to soil the eggs.

Never let hens sleep in the nests at night, otherwise manure will build up fast. Form good non-nest roosting habits by closing off the nests for the first 2 weeks.

13. "How many eggs can I expect my hens to lay?"

At around 20 weeks of age, a pullet becomes a layer. It takes a hen 24-26 hours to produce an egg. Most eggs are laid in the morning.

14. Will my council let me keep roosters and chickens in my residential area?

Each council gets to make its own rules/bylaws, but in general:

• Up to 12 chickens (hens) can be kept in a residential area
• No roosters are allowed
• Chicken Coop/Hutch is to be kept 3 metres off boundary
• Area must be kept clean so as not to attract rats or pests
• Poultry must be prevented from wandering onto neighbouring properties with fencing

This list came from the Tauranga City Council website.

You will need to check with the council for your area for specific guidelines.

14. "What more do I need to know about raising backyard chickens?"

More information about raising backyard chickens from the Egg Producers Federation of NZ