Preparing A Pen: How To Care For Animals On Your Property

As a pet owner, it’s important to provide your animals with a safe and comfortable environment. If you are planning on keeping animals on your property, such as chickens, goats, or ducks, creating an animal pen is essential for the safety and health of your animals. This guide will outline the steps to create a secure pen that will protect your animals from predators and other environmental dangers.

Planning Your Pen

Before building an animal pen, it is important to assess the size of the space needed. Consider the number of animals you plan on keeping and how much space each type of animal needs. For example, chickens require more room than ducks. Additionally, think about what type of material you want to use to build the pen, wooden fencing is one popular option because it can be painted or stained to match the existing aesthetic of your property. If this is your first time building a pen, consult with other animal owners to get advice. They will be able to tell you just how much room you'll need for your pen and help you understand the most efficient way to build one. 

Installing Fencing

Once you have planned out your pen size and design, begin installing fencing around the perimeter of your property. Be sure that any gaps between fence posts are small enough so that predators cannot enter through them; otherwise consider using sheet metal or chicken wire as a deterrent. Additionally, use screws instead of nails when installing fencing so that they stay firmly in place over time.

Providing Shelter

While some types of animals may not need shelter within their enclosure (e.g. chickens), others require protection from the elements, like rain or snow, and predators like hawks or foxes. For this reason, make sure there are adequate shelters within the pen for different species of animals; these shelters should be sturdy and well-ventilated for maximum comfort and safety.

Adding Bedding Material

After constructing a secure pen with adequate sheltering opportunities for each species of animal contained within it, add bedding material such as hay or straw in order to give them extra comfort while they sleep or rest during hot days. Additionally, adding bedding material helps keep pests away from their food source which can help keep diseases at bay; this also helps keep their living area clean from excess waste which can attract additional pests into their living area if left unchecked over time.

Getting Medications and Vaccines

Finally, it is important to ensure that your animals are vaccinated and receive regular worming treatments in order to minimize the risk of diseases. Regular veterinary visits should also be scheduled so that your animals can receive any necessary medications or treatment they may require. You may need to stock up on certain medications, like ampicillin trihydrate, to help with bacterial infections or other illnesses as well. 

Creating an animal pen is essential for any pet owner who would like to keep animals on their property safely and securely under their care. By following these steps outlined above — planning out your pen size and design, installing fencing around its perimeter with small enough gaps so predators cannot enter through them, providing ample shelter within its confines as well as bedding material — you will ensure that all species housed within their enclosure have all they need in order to stay safe and healthy while under your care. With proper preparation and attention devoted towards maintaining their living quarters regularly, such as mucking out hay regularly, preparing a secure animal pen is achievable even by those new to caring for animals on their property.