How to build a chicken coop for free-range native chickens? A detailed practical construction plan

As they say, “no feast is complete without chicken”, which shows the important place “chicken” holds in people's diet. In recent years, people have grown tired of feed chickens and confined chickens that lack “chicken flavor”, and instead seek native chickens with good taste, a strong gamey flavor, high nutritional value and no pollution. Below, let us take a look at the chicken coop construction plan for free-range native chickens

Chicken coop construction for free-range native chickens

1. The floor height inside the chicken coop should preferably be 25--35 cm above the ground outside the coop; otherwise, the coop floor and litter will become damp, leading to disease in the flock. In addition, during heavy rain, rainwater will flow back into the coop.

2. For the color of the rolled-up plastic windows of the chicken coop, on the south and north sides, the lower rolled-up sections should preferably be dark, and the upper sections should preferably be transparent, and the transparent upper part should occupy no more than one third of the window area. The lower part of the upper and lower rolled-up sections should be fitted with devices to keep them from being blown up by the wind, so as to help with insulation and prevent drafts from entering.

3. The roof of the chicken coop should be covered with straw for heat insulation and warmth retention.

4. The main door for people to enter and exit the chicken coop should be sturdy and lockable, and eaves should be built above the door and windows to prevent rainwater from blowing in.

5. Windows should be installed on the east and west walls of the chicken coop to help with ventilation and cooling in summer.

6. Each small compartment of the chicken coop should have one ground-level window for the chickens to enter and exit, and adjacent ground-level windows should not face the same side.

7. Dig a well in a suitable place between two new chicken coops, for the flock's drinking water and for washing the coop, etc. When necessary, set up netting between the two coops to separate them.

8. In the middle of the north side of the chicken coop, starting at a distance of 10 m, build simple rain-and-sun shelters along the north side, each 2--2.5 m wide, extending toward the far end, with a height of 1.5 m, to provide shade and shelter from heavy rain for the flock. Inside the shelters, install water pipes and automatic drinkers, or build a separate rain-and-sun shelter above each automatic drinker. The area of each shelter is determined according to conditions (according to fruit tree density), and each drinker should be 10--12 m apart.

9. The land outside the chicken coop should be properly leveled, and large ditches should be covered, so that the chickens can conveniently go in and out of the door and walk outside the coop.

10. Inside the chicken coop, 30 automatic drinkers need to be purchased, and 20 outside the coop, 50 in total. Inside the chicken coop, 60 large feed buckets and 2 sprayers need to be purchased.

11. In winter, the grass and leaves dry up and insects hibernate, so it is not suitable to range the flock. If ranging is required, the chickens must be provided every day with cornmeal, soybean meal, wheat bran, and large amounts of organic waste such as leftover vegetables and vegetable leaves from vegetable greenhouses. At present, the vegetable leaves left after harvesting in greenhouses can be fed to the chickens.

12. Dedicated staff should be arranged for duty at the chicken coop, and at least two dogs should be kept for guarding.

13. Build roads outside the chicken coop, install water and electricity, netting and other facilities inside the chicken coop, set up 3--4 energy-saving street lamps, and set up fairly sturdy netting around the perimeter of the orchard to prevent chickens from being stolen and from escaping.

Characteristics of free-range native chickens

1. The meat is fresh, sweet and delicious, with a delicate yet chewy texture, pure quality, and a flavor comparable to wild pheasant

2. The feather color is quite bright, the appearance especially beautiful, the comb bright red and large, with great ornamental value

3. Because they forage wild for grass and insects and grow wild, their nutritional value is of course quite high

4. They eat grains and small insects, all natural and pollution-free feed, and native chicken meat has relatively fewer residues of antibiotics and hormone drugs

5. Ranged in mountain fields for 180 days, they move a lot and have almost no fat, while the corresponding essence of the meat is brought out

6. They eat grains and miscellaneous cereals, insects, green vegetables, pasture grass, tree leaves…… and drink mountain spring water, listen to music, and are free to play among the trees, truly a green, delicious and nutritious food

How to identify native chickens:

In appearance, native chickens have a very small head, a compact body, strong breast and leg muscles, and thin claws; the comb is large, upright and brightly colored. Imitation native chickens are close to native chickens, but their claws are slightly thicker and their heads slightly larger. Fast-growing chickens, by contrast, have larger heads and bodies, very thick claws, looser feathers, and smaller combs.

Laying hens fed Qianfeng grass grown in the Changbai Mountain area have obvious advantages in many respects: strong immunity against disease and the ability to adapt to changeable outdoor environments; agile movements and good eyesight, strong bones and abundant feathers; most importantly, the eggs they lay also retain the essence of Qianfeng grass, and while being highly nutritious, they also have notable medicinal effects.

After the chickens are slaughtered and washed clean, the differences among the three kinds of chicken become even more obvious. Native chicken skin is thin, firm, with fine pores arranged in a net-like pattern. Imitation native chicken skin is relatively thin and the feathers are relatively fine, but not as good as native chicken. Fast-growing chickens, however, have thick, loose skin, and the skin color of fast-growing chickens is more glossy and tends toward white. After native chicken and imitation native chicken are cooked, the broth is transparent and clear, with fat gathering on the surface of the broth, and it has a fragrant aroma, whereas fast-growing chicken broth is more cloudy and has less fat gathering on the surface.