Fantastic Plastic

This month, Kim Stoddart considers the virtues of plastic housing for your hens.

Nowadays, poultry houses come in such a wide range of sizes, colours, materials and shapes that it can be confusing to know what to buy.

Coops have traditionally been made of wood - it’s only in relatively recent years that companies producing plastic-made alternatives have popped up on the scene. Initially designed with the urban back yard chicken keeper in mind, these modern houses are worth considering for a number of reasons:

The benefits of plastic

The material doesn’t require any weatherproofing treatment and can last for many years;

Modern houses often come in a range of attractive colours and shapes which are likely to appeal to children as well as those with an eye for the contemporary;

The plastic used is often recycled, so many houses have eco-friendly credentials;

These coops are designed to be straightforward to clean and disinfect. They also dry in minutes when hosed down (as compared to wood, which takes a long time to dry);

Plastic does not rot;

Red mites are much less likely to be a problem in plastic houses;

The cost of plastic accommodation is comparable to the price of wooden coops;