Choose The Breed Of Your Flock Wisely. Most would prefer hens instead of roosters, for they are not as rowdy and noisy, not to mention that hens don't require roosters for them to lay eggs. Hens are the ultimate feminists, since they are very much comfortable without their male counterparts. As for breed selection, the "bantam" is more popular for their docile nature and gorgeous plumage. If that is not possible in some areas along the perimeter, sink 8" planks to prevent predators from scraping underneath. If foxes roam the area get the thickest chicken wire possible. Foxes have teeth that are as sharp as wire cutters that could easily cut through thin chicken wires. Normally animals could jump as high as their heads when standing on hind legs. Crowding them would result to pecking at each other, sometimes even to death. They do this to protect those that catch their fancy. For example, they'll start pecking at another chicken if it goes too near a string of water droplets running through a hanging string that caught their interest. To prevent overcrowding, allow at least three square feet of space for every chicken. Consider Ventilation Chicken droppings contain ammonia and create dampness inside the coop. Aside from that every animal and bird has their own unique odor that stales the air. The design of the chicken coop must allow proper air ventilation to keep the air inside the coop circulating. Choose the materials in the coop well as it could affect the proper circulation of air inside the coop. When there is evidence of red mites in the area, a chicken bath in Malathion could cure the chicken but all hiding places of the red mites must be disinfected if not burned. Scaly-leg mites You will find scaly-leg mites in between the scales of the leg of the fowl. Once they penetrated the scales, the scales would lift and will cause lameness in the chicken. The internet is chock full of information about breeds, so it is imperative to do a bit of research to decide on what type of chickens you want to keep for its meat. You have two choices when purchasing chickens. Either you go for the full-grown ones (after checking the vaccination records to ensure that there's less risk of disease) or you can go for the newborn chicks.