Coops For Chickens - 3 Easy Steps
Of course if you're planning on raising chickens in your backyard you are going to need a chicken coop.
This is a must have! So now you have to decide on building your own small backyard chicken coop or purchasing a pre-made one.
Well let's consider this...
If you purchase a pre-made chicken coop, will it come fully assembled in your backyard? We all know the answer to that question is NO! Does anything come fully assembled these days? Ok, so it's not going to come fully assembled but how hard can it be, right? Yeah, we all know how that one turns out too.
You end up hiring someone else to put your pre-made chicken coop together after all that anyways.
So why not just do it yourself and start from scratch! It's time to take ownership of this project and give yourself a sense of pride every time you look out in that backyard! Ok, so you decided it just might be a good idea to build yourself and save the hassle and money invested in purchasing a coop for chickens! Well good for you! Here are some simple ideas to look at before you begin.
1.
Space/Materials: Plan out where you will be building your coop and how large it will be.
Start by deciding of course how many chickens you plan to house.
Once you know exactly how many chickens you can then get a clearer picture of how large your coop should be.
For each chicken you house, plan to have at least 4 square feet of room.
This will prevent your chickens from pecking each other out of frustration and give each one room to move around as well as nest.
Next consider what materials you will use.
I recommend a cement floor that is slopped towards the door because it's easier to clean up, and prevents rodents and snakes from digging into your coop.
Also any old lumber, a previous dog house, a shed that is not being used.
Consider all these ideas before beginning the project.
2.
Make a general plan as to what you want the coop to look like.
You don't have to be an architect on this step, but give yourself a pretty good idea of what it will look like in the end.
Consider things like how the doors will open, and where the run will be placed.
And don't forget to include nesting boxes for your chickens!! 3.
At this point your going to want to consider things like, ventilation, screens to protect from predators, fencing (I suggest putting the fencing for the run deep into the ground, this too helps prevent predators), feeding, insulation, and lighting.
Once you have determined the main factors in building a small backyard chicken coop the rest will come very easy! Don't' worry you don't' have to be a carpenter to build a coop for chickens.
Anyone can do it with just a well thought out plan!
This is a must have! So now you have to decide on building your own small backyard chicken coop or purchasing a pre-made one.
Well let's consider this...
If you purchase a pre-made chicken coop, will it come fully assembled in your backyard? We all know the answer to that question is NO! Does anything come fully assembled these days? Ok, so it's not going to come fully assembled but how hard can it be, right? Yeah, we all know how that one turns out too.
You end up hiring someone else to put your pre-made chicken coop together after all that anyways.
So why not just do it yourself and start from scratch! It's time to take ownership of this project and give yourself a sense of pride every time you look out in that backyard! Ok, so you decided it just might be a good idea to build yourself and save the hassle and money invested in purchasing a coop for chickens! Well good for you! Here are some simple ideas to look at before you begin.
1.
Space/Materials: Plan out where you will be building your coop and how large it will be.
Start by deciding of course how many chickens you plan to house.
Once you know exactly how many chickens you can then get a clearer picture of how large your coop should be.
For each chicken you house, plan to have at least 4 square feet of room.
This will prevent your chickens from pecking each other out of frustration and give each one room to move around as well as nest.
Next consider what materials you will use.
I recommend a cement floor that is slopped towards the door because it's easier to clean up, and prevents rodents and snakes from digging into your coop.
Also any old lumber, a previous dog house, a shed that is not being used.
Consider all these ideas before beginning the project.
2.
Make a general plan as to what you want the coop to look like.
You don't have to be an architect on this step, but give yourself a pretty good idea of what it will look like in the end.
Consider things like how the doors will open, and where the run will be placed.
And don't forget to include nesting boxes for your chickens!! 3.
At this point your going to want to consider things like, ventilation, screens to protect from predators, fencing (I suggest putting the fencing for the run deep into the ground, this too helps prevent predators), feeding, insulation, and lighting.
Once you have determined the main factors in building a small backyard chicken coop the rest will come very easy! Don't' worry you don't' have to be a carpenter to build a coop for chickens.
Anyone can do it with just a well thought out plan!
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