Decorating for Christmas is a family favorite around here. Naturally, with my love for chickens, this would carry into their coop! See how I decorated my coop for Christmas this year!

After my second year of having chickens, I put a small tree up with some lights. My chickens left it alone because they probably didn’t care, but it sure made me feel festive out in the coop! Haha!

A question I often get is, “Annie, do your chickens get a Christmas tree too?”. This brings me to the next question. Is it safe to put a Christmas tree in your coop? The short answer is yes! But there are few things to keep in mind while you’re decking the chicken coop halls.

1. Make sure your Christmas tree is natural and hasn’t been sprayed with colorant or fire-retardant spray.

2. Remove all the ornaments and tinsel unless, of course, they’re edible ornaments for your chickens!

3. Obviously, if you heat your coop, be careful to not place the tree close to the heat source to prevent a fire.

Pine trees provide fun cover and foraging for your flock. The pine needles actually contain small amounts of antioxidants, minerals, nutrients and vitamin C, so they’re a healthy snack for the chickens!

Happy enjoying some fresh air and pine needles in her Christmas scarf.

If you use a real tree inside your home, go ahead and put it out in the coop for your chickens to check out after the holidays. They are curious little stinkers, and they love to peck around new things. This eliminates you from having to dispose of the tree. It’s a win-win for everyone! If you have a smaller coop and can’t fit the entire tree in the coop, cut some branches off and let them go to town. It will provide a healthy snack as well as a boredom buster!

Merry Christmas!

–The Wing Lady