Proper chicken Coop

 Written by: Mir Aqa Itebar

In Afghanistan, chickens are kept in two ways, modern ways and traditional ways. Those who keep chickens on the farms, might not face more problems but those who traditionally keep chickens, are facing more problems.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some chickens’ owners and a veterinarian about this issue.

Abdul Ghani, a resident of Dehsabz district, Kabul province says, “I had 10 hens in my yard but a fox killed all of them and now I cannot dare to raise chickens again.”

Omid, a resident of Kapisa province says, “I had been raising 12 chickens at home. They were always walking on the walls and were going to our neighbors’ house and our neighbors were complaining from them and our home yard was never clean due to those chickens.”

A veterinarian, Abdul Qayum Shenwari talks about this issue, "It is necessary to keep chickens in a suitable place, but some people are not aware of this basic point. Making coop in a yard next to the wall caused to block the fresh air and the wall might have insects. They do not know how chicken should be kept in a one square meter chickens coop and they keep more chicken in the above-mentioned coop. They might lose the chickens and they would face economic problems.”

How do people solve this issue?

Abdullah, a resident of Paghman district, Kabul province says, “I have built a coop for my chickens from mud bricks. The length of the coop is 5 meters and it is 3 meters in width. I have made wide windows in the coop and these windows have fences to prevent entering cat and insects inside the coop. The coop has a big door for a person to enter and clean it regularly. I also cover the coop with plastic in the winter.”

Abdul Hashim says, “I have made a coop from metal and it could be transferred easily from place to place.”

Shinwari says, “The middle of the home yard is better to build a chickens coop. The coop could be built from wood, metal, bricks, and cement but it would be better to build it from cement. The size of the coop must be considered. 1 square meter coop is suitable for raising 7 chickens.

If they keep more chickens in one square meter coop, it will cause the chickens to lose their lives. The coop should be washed once a month and spray chemicals regularly to prevent insects in the coop.

The coop should be away from residential rooms because the bad smell of the chicken might annoy you and also some chicken disease might transfer from the chickens to human.”