The fence should be high enough that even high leapers can't jump over it, and its bottom buried deep enough (20 inches at the very least) under the ground to prevent predators from burrowing underneath. PROPER FEEDING AND WATERING Just like with any livestock, chickens need a well-balanced diet and a daily intake of water. As chicken are creatures of habit, the chicken coop must be a permanent safe retreat for chickens where they can roost, nest, feed, and stay healthy safely. A chicken coop will also need a chicken run. Chicken runs are the area outside of the coop where the chicken could roam about, forage for additional nutrition, play, and have dirt baths. Predators will dig underneath a fence if they could not jump over it. When building the fence, ensure that it goes at least 10" or more below the ground to discourage digging. See to it that there are no weak points either in the fence or in the chicken house itself. Provide barriers When the fence is made from chicken wire, bury planks that are at least 8" deep into the ground, also put footplates near the fence. Bugs, ants, insects, roaches, fruit, bread, seeds, food leftovers that had been standing in the fridge, vegetables, leaves, grass, everything and that does not exclude pebbles and coarse sand. They love Chinese dishes and Italian too. Try throwing them spaghetti and see how they will chase each other over it. All of this though could be avoided very easily provided the symptoms are recognized early and treatments are done swiftly. Not acting on it soon enough could cause infestation that could contaminate the entire flock. Causes of Infestation in Chickens Overcrowding chickens produces stress that results in lowered resistance against diseases. Mix vitamins and minerals into the water to insure that the chicks grow healthy and to boost their resistance to diseases. This is especially important during the first week. For food, you can mix crumbs to the starter mash that you feed the chicks. Taking care of the chicks will require you to follow manufacturer's instructions for ratio and proportions of vitamins, minerals, and crumbs that you mix with their food.