Building A Hen House: Some Important Considerations
A hen house is a place of shelter for your chickens at night and during bad weather as well as nesting boxes for their eggs. Depending on what type of house you want to build, you have plenty of ideas available in building a hen house. The first consideration is the number of hens that you have since your goal is to prevent overcrowding, which if not averted can result to fights and reduced egg production. You should as well build a nesting box for every five hens so that they have plenty of spaces to lay their precious eggs. Provide six to 10 inches of spaces for each bird for their perches.
It is important to choose the right material when building a house for hen. If you do not have plenty of time, wood is an ideal choice because it is very easy to cut and assemble. With wood, you can simply set aside two weekends and you can already complete this task. Before you go on the task to build hen house, you should decide as to the size and style of coops that you want to build. Make sure that they will be put up in proper places.
If you have no idea on building chicken coops, plenty of resources are available on the Internet, whether you require a big coop or a small one, whether you have a limited budget, or whether you want a premium large and two-story hen house. Many plans for chicken coop are found online to give you basic ideas on starting your project. As mentioned, location is a key factor when building coops for a poor location might result to unhealthy or unproductive poultry. Check out if the location has soil drainage, air circulation, and accessible to water. The drainage will prevent the formation of muddy areas, which could cause filth and be a reason for diseases. Having enough circulation inside the coops will prevent unpleasant odors that can be harmful to humans. Meanwhile, the nearby water source will allow you to conveniently replenish the daily needs of your poultry. You can even install an automatic watering system for added convenience if there is an available nearby water source. Make sure to clean your coops every so often so that the birds grow in a healthy environment, which will lead to them giving you top quality eggs.
