To protect chickens from predators and other animals, observe try the following. Introduce human smell. The scent of humans is very repulsive to animals. It has often been claimed that the reason that man is the least to be preyed upon is due to human smell. There is not much study to support this but the fact is man will only be preyed upon when a predator is starving and there is nothing else available, when a predator is sick and is unable to hunt or is very old that their movement and ability has been limited, when the animal is threatened with its back to the wall and escape routes are closed and sometimes when a man is mistaken for another identity. Hardware Feeder system Tips for Building the Chicken House Chickens have virtually no defense against predators. Due to this, the do-it-yourself chicken house must be built in such a way that even when there are boards or planks for flooring, it will still be wise to add chicken wires under the floor to discourage rodents from entering the coop as they could easily chew through the wood. Another worry considered seriously is the chicken actually starving because the feeding failed in one way or the other. No. In fact it is not. Chicken may be very low maintenance birds but they have survived longer than us and their population is several hundred folds over ours. True they are prone to diseases and pests but their population is a testament that chickens are survivors. When nesting boxes are smaller, there is also less room for the chicken to kick around the straw or wood shavings, creating less mess and keeping the straw where they should be. The roof of the chicken nest boxes are sloped for the purpose that chickens do not roost on the roof. A roof not angled steeply will invite chickens to roost there and when that happens expect where the eggs will be. No matter, they will be brought inside their pens to familiarize them to the chicken house. Once there, do not let them out for a while. The chicken has to know very well where the home is otherwise, they will be roosting on branches, roofs, awnings, anywhere they feel safe. Getting started with chicken is also knowing that they enjoy people leftovers and would fight over it. You Can Save More Money From Home Produced Eggs. Having three or more chickens that constantly produce eggs saves you the trouble of buying eggs at your local supermarket. A normal hen could lay an average of 300 eggs a year, provided that they are getting the proper nourishment. Increasing the amount of hens can also provide more returns, provided that you are buying poultry and chicken feed at a cheaper price.