Chicken House Designs - 7 Critical Considerations
Here are 7 critical things you must consider when designing or building a chicken house. Missing any one of these points is very likely to end in disaster for either you, your coop or your chickens.
1. Bye Laws
Before you even start considering designing or building a chicken house you should check the local bye laws for any restrictions or licence that may be required. This will vary from country to country and even between states, cities and towns.
2. Appearance
Think about the appearance of your chicken coop. Remember that unless you are very lucky and have a large detached piece of land then your neighbours will almost certainly be able to see your coop. Although your chickens may not worry too much about appearances, neighbours will be much happier and better accepting if your chicken house is aesthetically pleasing.
A good appearance is also reflective of a good quality build. If you were looking to buy a car you would think that a smart, clean car with no dents reflects a well looked after vehicle and you would expect the engine to be in a similar condition. This is true for anything, including chicken coops. If it looks poorly made and poorly maintained then that will likely reflect on it's performance as a safe and healthy refuge for your chickens.
3. Size
Many people may tell you that size isn't important but in the case of a chicken coop is definitely is. You will need to consider how many chickens you intend to keep and possibly allow for some growth of your flock.
This may need to be moderated by your available space, if you have a small yard for example, but you should never compromise your chickens requirements. If you have a small yard you may need to keep less chickens!
4. Location
The location of your chicken house is very important. Consider your local weather conditions I.e. prevailing winds. Ensure that any run off water from sheds or houses won't hit your coop. Your Chickens will also want plenty of ventilation and light so ensure this is incorporated into the design and not restricted by the location. Not much point in making a window if it sits 5cm from a shed wall!
5. Protection
A chicken coop has one main function and that is to keep your chickens safe and healthy. You need to consider any threats to your chickens and ensure that protection is built into the chicken house designs. Foxes, rats, cats and other predators can make short work of a flock. For instance, raising your coop off the ground can help protect against some predators and ensuring chicken wire is securely fixed and covers all appropriate openings. Rain and winds can threaten your flock so ensure that roof overhangs are enough to stop water dripping into doors or windows.
6. Feed and Water
Crucial to health of any animal is the feed and water regime. Chickens need a daily feed and water. They are not like budgies who can be given a large feeder of food and water and be left for some days or even a week. Careful consideration of the food and water vessels and placement is essential. If you simply put food and water in bowls on the ground they will quickly become fouled with droppings and that is a sure recipe for sick chickens. Also ensure that you have easy access for feed and water as you will need to get to them every day.
7. Cleaning
The final critical consideration in your chicken house designs, if you want to make your coop a success, is cleaning. Chickens make a lot of mess and the coop will need regular cleaning. If you do not include easy cleaning in your design, you will set yourself up for a lot of needless hard work. I.e. ensure the coop floor is raised off the ground and enable both sides to be fully removed leaving free and clear access to the inside. This also needs to be considered when locating your chicken house.
With careful consideration of all the above 7 points you can avoid most of the self made disasters that can hit new chicken house owners and keep happy, healthy and productive chickens.
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Tony Marriott is the creator of WaddaYouNeed.com an information centre supplying search engine facilities, professional product reviews, hints, tips and guidance on everything from web page promotion to travel and pets and much more.
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