Information On Building Chicken Coops
Meat and eggs are two benefits that come from raising chickens, but they do need shelter. You do not have to be a professional carpenter to accomplish this. It does not require excessively expensive building materials or complex plans. Chicken coops can be very simple to construct as long as you follow the suggested tips below.
It is vital you try to do some planning first. First you will need to place it on high ground, or elevate the coop. This will ensure rain does not puddle around the structure or the chicken pen. The chickens need about one and one half to two square feet of area in the coop per bird. The area surrounding the coop needs eight to ten square feet per chicken.
Next, sketch your design on paper. You will need to occasionally clean the coop and collect eggs, so be certain to build a door large enough to use. If you put windows in they need to face the south. This gives good ventilation when it is hot, and the sun will warm the eggs when it is cold.
Supplies are important, but it is not necessary that they be costly. Scrap wood, plywood, or even a structure that you no longer use, such as a shed, will work. The next step is to map the inner space of the chicken coop, and keep in mind that laying hens are going to need a nest box. For about every fourth or fifth bird, one box will be required. Perches are important, so be sure to have six to ten inches of perch space available per bird.
The next step is to buy any materials that you currently do not have. Chicken wire will be vital, for it encloses the yard of the chicken coop. Other materials will be necessary, too, like straw, feeders, and watering providers. Once you have your plan on paper and materials purchased, start to build the structure. Remember to build the coop with its front and yard facing south.
Remember, too, that you probably do not want rain pouring over the entrance of the door, so while you are constructing the roof make sure it has a good slope to it. If possible try and cover the windows with chicken wire, for this will aid in ensuring predators stay out of the coop. A latch on the door is important since it will let you secure it when you want. Nesting boxes and perches should be put by the coop’s inner walls. Also be sure the perches are three to four feet high, and the boxes contain straw.
After the structure is completed, enclose the outer yard with either chicken wire or fencing materials. The fence should be a minimum of four feet high. It is important that the fence is buried a foot below ground and tilted away from the yard area. This will assist in keeping predators away, for it will then be more difficult to dig beneath the fence. Birds of prey are also an issue, and to keep them at bay it is important that you cover the yard area with some type of netting. Planting high growing grass will also give your birds a place to hide.
Be certain that the watering providers and feeders are set up rather higher, usually at about the chicken’s back. This can assist in producing certain the water and food aren’t tainted by debris or dirt, and when you do that, you’re done. Constructing hen houses doesn’t have to become a difficult or taxing procedure. Merely adhere towards the easy ideas noted above and your birds will rapidly be able to appreciate their new coop.
