Christmas is quickly approaching, and everywhere you look, you’ll see houses decked out in lights, bows, and other beautiful Christmas decor. There are twinkling candles in windows, beautiful wreaths on doors, and sparkling garlands all around. But have you ever thought about decorating your chicken coop for Christmas?
Decorating your chicken coop for Christmas may sound like a silly idea at first, but if you raise backyard chickens, then you know that your little feathered friends start to mean a lot to you the longer you care for them. You’ll want to include them in everything, from decorating their coop for Christmas to keeping up with their birthdays. Chickens work hard to provide us with delicious, fresh eggs year-round, so to include them in the holidays to show our appreciation doesn’t seem like too crazy of an idea. Maybe you can even buy them Christmas Gifts. We listed some ideas here.
Chicken Coop Decoration Ideas
Before you decide to decorate your chicken coop from the inside out with twinkling lights and a full-sized Santa Claus statue, be aware that many traditional decorations can be dangerous when used inside your chicken run and chicken coop. Chickens are very curious creatures that will peck and scratch at almost anything in their sight, so if you’re planning on adding a few Christmas decorations to your coop, be sure they are safe for your chickens.
Christmas lights are beautiful, but we don’t recommend hanging them inside your chicken coop. Chicken coops have many flammable materials inside of them, and even the slightest spark can start a fatal fire. If you’d like to add lights to your coop, we’d recommend buying outdoor lights to add to the outside of the coop and run to make it pretty for you and safe for your chickens.
Wow Them With Window Decor
If your chicken coop has windows, a good idea for some fun Christmas decor that is also safe for your chickens is to stick Christmas-themed window clings to the outside of the windows. Window clings are easy to peel off after the season is over, and they don’t usually leave behind any residue. They can also sometimes be reused. By placing them on the outside of your chicken coop, you and your chickens will still be able to see them, but if they happen to fall off, you don’t risk any danger to your chickens. Window clings can come in all different patterns and styles, so there is sure to be one to fit your decorating needs.
Many people like to add holiday curtains to their chicken coop’s windows to help them feel more festive over the Christmas season. There are many curtain patterns to choose from, or you could make some yourself. Be sure they are secured and not accessible to your chickens because they can tear them down, and they will try to peck and scratch them. This can be dangerous to your chickens as well as damaging to your curtains.
Another way to add a little Christmas cheer to your chicken coop is to paint your windows with washable, non-toxic paint (like the kind that you would let children use). Your chickens won’t be harmed if they happen to peck at the paint, and you don’t have to worry about any damage to your windows. You can buy many types of paint that will easily wash off to paint a beautiful Christmas scene, sparkling snowflakes, or even a few festive snowmen. Jazzing up your chicken coop’s windows is a great way to spread Christmas cheer to your feathery friends.
Edible Garland
Your chickens will likely get bored during the long, cold winter season. An excellent way to add a little Christmas cheer and give your curious creatures something to do is to create an edible garland to hang in their coop or run. String unsalted popcorn, berries, and homemade, chicken-safe treats on a strong cotton string and hang it within your chickens’ reach. Not only will it add a festive feel to your coop, but it will keep your chickens entertained for hours. Be sure to remove any remaining garland at night to deter pests such as mice and insects.
Deck the Nesting Boxes
You can bring a beautiful pop of red to your chicken coop by installing this beautiful red nesting box from Run-Chicken. It is a unique hexagon-shaped nesting box that can easily be mounted to the wall to benefit your hens as well as add some Christmas cheer to your chicken coop. You can choose to hang your nesting boxes in a honeycomb pattern or create your own shape. Nesting boxes from Run-Chicken are sturdy and lightweight, featuring a lip that helps keep eggs in the nesting box.
Another way to decorate your chicken coop for Christmas is to add some decorative curtains to your hen’s nesting boxes. You can choose from a variety of Christmas-themed curtains, or you can make curtains yourself. Hanging curtains over your hens’ nesting boxes won’t only turn your chicken coop into a Christmas wonderland, but it is also beneficial to your hens. Broody hens will love the privacy that curtains provide, and hanging curtains on your hen’s nesting boxes helps discourage egg eating as well.
Hanging Decorations
Keeping your chickens’ safety in mind, you can hang decorations such as wreaths and bows outside your chicken coop and run for a fun holiday look. You can hang festive signs, ornaments, bows, and wreaths on the outside of windows, doors, and the outside of your chicken run.
Metal signs are also a good hanging decoration that you can place inside the coop. Be sure they are attached well, so they don’t fall if your chickens decide to peck at them. Metal signs are a good choice because your chickens can’t tear them up and ingest any parts of them.
You can even hang planters filled with seasonal flowers outside of your chicken coop. Be sure to research the flowers you choose because some plant species can be toxic for chickens. You could also make bundles of evergreen limbs tied with a bow and place them in pots for a festive Christmas look.
Be sure that any hanging decorations are out of your chickens’ reach unless they are edible. You can create an edible wreath for your chickens using strong metal wire, leafy greens, and berries.
Christmas-themed Stickers
Another way to bring Christmas into your chicken coop is by using Christmas-themed stickers to decorate your nesting boxes, feeders and waterers, and even your automatic chicken coop door. Be sure that stickers are placed in a way that allows the door to open and close safely. There are many different types of stickers that you can purchase that peel off easily and won’t leave any residue behind. Your chickens may find the stickers very interesting, so be sure they cannot scratch or peck them off.
Tinkling Bells and Shiny Balls
Christmas time can be a fun time for your chickens if you choose to decorate their chicken coop by hanging bells and balls around their coop and run. Secure decorative Christmas bells, balls, and berries to string to be hung around the coop. The chickens will curiously peck at the bells and balls and find a sweet, refreshing treat. The tinkling bells will surely bring some Christmas cheer to your chicken coop.
Don’t Forget the Stockings!
How cute would it be to present your chickens with small, chicken-sized stockings for Christmas? You can purchase or make small stockings yourself to fill with your chickens’ favorite treats and hang them around the chicken coop. Your chickens will love to wake up to a stocking full of seeds or grains on Christmas morning! You can also hang stockings inside or outside of your coop (out of your chickens’ reach) for a festive holiday decoration idea.
Keeping them Safe, Secure, and Stylish
One of the best things that you can do for your chickens during the Christmas season is to ensure that their coop is warm and water/airtight, with proper ventilation. Ensuring they have proper roosting bars and bedding or straw in the coop will help keep their feet warm and dry through the winter. Remember that providing a source of heat, such as a lamp or heater, is risky and can cause fires.
With the temperatures steadily dropping, many insects and small animals burrow down and hibernate or move away for the winter, making it harder for predators to find food; this makes your chickens look like easy prey for hungry animals. Be sure to secure your chicken coop from predators this Christmas season by using this durable, secure, and decorative automatic chicken coop door from Run-Chicken. They come in a beautiful, festive red color and a special Chickmas limited edition in three different decorative styles.
Run-Chicken’s automatic chicken coop doors are made of sturdy, lightweight aluminum that will successfully keep predators out of your chicken coop at night. They also feature a light sensor which allows it to close your chickens in safely for the night and open at the first light of dawn to let them out. Run-Chicken has many decorative styles of automatic chicken coop doors, including a red one that will surely give your chicken coop some Christmas cheer. Run-Chicken coop doors can also be useful and unique gifts for your loved ones who raise chickens.
After you’ve decorated your house inside and out for Christmas, you may feel like your chicken coop seems a little out of place in your holiday wonderland. If you want to bring your chickens some holiday cheer, decorating your chicken coop for Christmas is a great idea. Just be sure to be mindful of your chickens’ health and safety when choosing to decorate, and remember that if you hang decorations within their reach, be sure they are edible. After all, our backyard chickens work hard all year long to provide us with fresh eggs, meat, and lots of entertainment, so they deserve a little holiday cheer as well.
