Those Big Mistakes To Avoid When Building Chicken Coops
So you want to build a chicken coop.
Chicken coops are the houses that your chickens will live in.
And you need to make sure right from the start, that your chicken’s needs are met by the chicken coop you build.
Chicken Coops And You
When it comes to everything you do, you should do it right, and there need to be plans of some sort.
Even if it’s a scribble on a piece of paper, you need to have something to go on with.
This way, it would make things easier for you to construct.
When you have sketched or scribbled out your plans, you will be able to manage your time better.
Not so much time standing around looking at the materials you have bought or found, scratching your head as to what to do next.
The more thought out the chicken coop and chicken run, the better it will be on a daily basis, as you have to work with the chicken coop as well as your chickens.
So make sure that the chicken coops doorway is big enough to let you in and not have you squeezing through it.
It does not matter if the chicken coop doorway is shorter than you are, just remember to duck every time you go in and out of the doorway.
Avoid the pitfall of making a chicken coop that is too small for the number of chickens that you will be housing.
That is the first thing to think about…
Think of the number of chickens that you might raise to start your backyard chicken coop.
Take into consideration that each chicken will probably occupy 4 sq. ft to give them enough room to move around.
Not to do cartwheels, just to move around…
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No cramped up chicken coops ok…
If you want to raise healthy chickens as we all want that, then you have to obey this rule as well.
Chicken Coop Doors
Do not forget to provide access points to your chicken coop, as I have mentioned.
It is quite alright to have only one access point.
I can not say that I have ever had more than one opening to my chicken coops..
Placing Your Chicken Coop
Don’t just put up your chicken coop anywhere you want in your back garden, you need to think of where it will be best for your backyard design.
And if you can, see if you can have the chicken run itself near a tree or shrub for that shade needed in the hotter days…
The location of your chicken coop should not depend entirely on your own whims, look at the layout of your backyard first and what it has in it.
There are many such things you need to consider before you come up with the final decision of where to put your chicken coop.
By avoiding water problems such as rain, situate the coop in an elevated area to provide natural drainage for water.
For the coop not to easily get wet, the roof should be built with a visible elevation for water to run off.
If you have a flat roof, that means that the water will stay on the top of the roof and collect.
And could find its way inside your pen, or even just sit in the roof and begin the process of rust.
Then holes will start to let the water in again.
You can have slanting floors inside your chicken coop, but I have never had this myself as I have always build on flat land.
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But if you want a slanted floor, why not.
Make sure that your coop will keep dry in those winter months.
If I was a chicken, I would want a nice dry place to keep warm and dry throughout the winter months.
Just like the houses we live in.
This makes a happy and healthy chicken.
Ventilation For Your Chicken Coop
Do not totally enclose that chicken coop of yours without providing your chickens with proper ventilation.
The chicken coops windows should be facing right to scoop out cold air during warm weather and to keep away that cold breeze during those cold days…
The Chicken Run
Chickens need to run around outside…
So with all the predators around and in case, the chickens go walkabout.
Not that they would, once they know where their home is.
You need to install a chicken run around the coop.
Make sure that it is not just about providing the chicken coop itself with durable walls,
There should also be for instance durable wire that is buried at least 10 inches down into the ground to ensure that predators can not lift the wire easily.
And also chickens are prone to dust baths, but unfortunately, they also have a liking to digging their dust bathes near the wire, which can end up with a hole at the bottom of the wire.
I found that one out.
Plugging it with rocks, then more…
And also the fence needs to be at least 4 feet high above the ground, just enough to keep predators away.
Taller if you can manage it.
If it is quite tall then I would consider a wire covering on it to stop the areal predators, and even shade cloth will keep out some hot sun when needed.