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Building the Ideal Chicken Coop for Your Backyard

2016/5/4 10:13:48

Keeping chickens is something that many people love the idea of and you need very little experience to get the most from your birds. Happy chickens lay bountiful eggs, therefore, their environment and housing needs to be comfortable. Building the ideal chicken coop in your back yard is far easier to do than you may think. With some research and simple building knowledge, you can produce the perfect dwelling for your new feathered friends.

You will need to consider how much room you have in the back yard, and the number of chicks that you want to own. Every single bird will need a certain amount of room to be able to move freely and have their own space. Having fewer happier birds is far better than too many that don't lay eggs at all. Many novice chicken owners do not account for the fact that the chickens need space in their coop to exercise, sleep and lay eggs.

The new chicken coop should be on a flat piece of ground with good drainage and easy access for you to reach it. Although you may not want it being next to the house, having it some distance away is not ideal, especially in the bad weather. If you have decided to place the dwelling a distance away, the path needs to be clear and easily walked. Once you have decided where to place the flock's home, the design process can begin.

How you decide to build your new bird house will be down to personal taste and your overall budget for materials. Although you may have a great idea in your head, there are several things that need to be considered. The chickens will not only need space, but also light and air to ensure that they are living in comfort. Air movement throughout the building is very important, to ensure that the ammonia is removed from the area and that the damp cannot settle.

Light is another very important factor when looking to build the coop and windows are the perfect solution. However, you need to ensure that the windows are placed on the south side of the house to give the chickens light throughout the day. Chickens can cope with the cold quite well; however, they do not like getting wet. Therefore, the building needs to be water tight and insulated well to guarantee that moisture cannot build up.

Once you have considered the essentials for the build you will need to think about predators and how to keep your birds safe. There will be many different predators that will want to have a piece of your new animals. Keeping them safe and secure is a priority not only from being eaten, but also severe weather conditions. Any outside runs that you may have will need to have the foundations dug into the ground to stop tunneling happening. Although you may think building the coop is very complicated, if you research well and understand your chickens needs you can create the perfect home for them. Another option to consider is to purchase an Amish built chicken coop. Always well made and available for delivery so you just need to set it up. Your chickens will show their appreciation by laying fantastic eggs all year round for you and your family. Owning chickens can not only save you money but also bring you a sense of pride.

S. O'Connor is the owner of Chicken Houses Plus located in Archer, Florida. In addition to raising healthy, happy chickens the company also provides fertile chicken eggs, egg incubators, and Amish built chicken coops. Customer service is available via Live Chat.