Keeping chickens is gaining popularity all the time. It's really not surprising as in return for the low cost of keeping chickens you benefit from having friendly pets, less insects and bugs in your garden, free fertiliser, fresh, tasty free range eggs and for some, a tasty healthy meal! One of your key decisions will be how to house and protect your chickens. What kind of chicken coop will you have to build. Which type of coop will best fit your needs... an important decision... for getting optimal results.
There are some main factors that you should take into consideration before deciding what type of coop to build. The following guidelines will lead you down the right path to choosing wisely and being fully satisfied with your new chicken coop once it's built.
The first question you need to consider is SIZE. It is simply one of the most important factors that will need to be looked at is the size of chicken coop you want to build. There's small, medium, and large plans for the chicken coops, each which accommodates a certain number of chickens.
The biggest mistake you can make is trying to cram too many chickens into your coop. Because each chicken requires so much area to feel comfortable and lay eggs properly, you'll really want to make sure you're choosing your size wisely.
It's always better to error on the size of being too big than being too small, plus then you can always add more birds to the chicken coop if you want later on.
The next consideration is whether the chicken coop should be 'portable' or 'fixed'. I prefer a fixed coop simply for watering, feeding and nesting considerations. But portable (also referred to as tractor coops) provide the advantage of being able to move it around to wherever you need them to be. This will be an attractive option for someone that keeps chickens as pets for instance.
An additional advantage of a portable chicken coop is that it cuts down on maintenance since the coop can simply be moved to wherever you need to clean it. The downside off course is that portable coops tend to be small.
A fixed chicken coop on the other hand, tends to be stronger and it allows you to permanently fit feeders and watering resources. Fixed chicken coops are able to withstand the elements better as well.
Protection against the elements and predators are often overlooked. You need to consider what predators you are most likely to encounter. Foxes are a major threat and if they gain access to your coop, you may loose your whole flock in one night, but there are also stray dogs, otters, birds of pray and off course the weather, Carefully evaluate which threats you need to protect against and accommodate it in your design. A solid fencing system will go a long way to keep all varieties of predators out. This will have to be built to match the size of the coop you're building. Caution... if you plan to provide a chicken run as well, and if you are located in an area where birds of prey are in abundance, you need to cover the top of the chicken run as well.
Appearance is another consideration. You don't need to go over the top when considering appearance, but you probably want something that sits well on your plot. This will likely influence the cost of the building process, so it's something to think about and work within your budget.
Keep your eye on costs... they can escalate rapidly. You need to understand the different things that will influence the cost. Hunt around for functional alternatives.
Paying careful attention to the above considerations will help you decide on the type and size of chicken coop that you build. It is always a good idea to get as much information as possible up front before you start to design and build your chicken coop. Careful planning will help save you a bundle of cash over the long run. - 29953
There are some main factors that you should take into consideration before deciding what type of coop to build. The following guidelines will lead you down the right path to choosing wisely and being fully satisfied with your new chicken coop once it's built.
The first question you need to consider is SIZE. It is simply one of the most important factors that will need to be looked at is the size of chicken coop you want to build. There's small, medium, and large plans for the chicken coops, each which accommodates a certain number of chickens.
The biggest mistake you can make is trying to cram too many chickens into your coop. Because each chicken requires so much area to feel comfortable and lay eggs properly, you'll really want to make sure you're choosing your size wisely.
It's always better to error on the size of being too big than being too small, plus then you can always add more birds to the chicken coop if you want later on.
The next consideration is whether the chicken coop should be 'portable' or 'fixed'. I prefer a fixed coop simply for watering, feeding and nesting considerations. But portable (also referred to as tractor coops) provide the advantage of being able to move it around to wherever you need them to be. This will be an attractive option for someone that keeps chickens as pets for instance.
An additional advantage of a portable chicken coop is that it cuts down on maintenance since the coop can simply be moved to wherever you need to clean it. The downside off course is that portable coops tend to be small.
A fixed chicken coop on the other hand, tends to be stronger and it allows you to permanently fit feeders and watering resources. Fixed chicken coops are able to withstand the elements better as well.
Protection against the elements and predators are often overlooked. You need to consider what predators you are most likely to encounter. Foxes are a major threat and if they gain access to your coop, you may loose your whole flock in one night, but there are also stray dogs, otters, birds of pray and off course the weather, Carefully evaluate which threats you need to protect against and accommodate it in your design. A solid fencing system will go a long way to keep all varieties of predators out. This will have to be built to match the size of the coop you're building. Caution... if you plan to provide a chicken run as well, and if you are located in an area where birds of prey are in abundance, you need to cover the top of the chicken run as well.
Appearance is another consideration. You don't need to go over the top when considering appearance, but you probably want something that sits well on your plot. This will likely influence the cost of the building process, so it's something to think about and work within your budget.
Keep your eye on costs... they can escalate rapidly. You need to understand the different things that will influence the cost. Hunt around for functional alternatives.
Paying careful attention to the above considerations will help you decide on the type and size of chicken coop that you build. It is always a good idea to get as much information as possible up front before you start to design and build your chicken coop. Careful planning will help save you a bundle of cash over the long run. - 29953
About the Author:
Want to learn from experts on how to go about designing and building your own Chicken Coop? Then visit Luke Jefferson's blog to learn more about important design considerations that you need to incorporate!
