Chicken House Designs- Basic Tenets

By Oliver Henson

It does not need to be said a good chicken coop design will help to keep chickens productive and healthy. But what many folks do not know is what precisely it is that makes a great chicken coop. And while there isn't any one size fits everyone rule, there are a couple rules that you must incorporate in any chicken house plans that you can use.

Sizing needs for the Chicken Coop

One of the most important design questions that folk constantly ask is what size they should build the chicken coop. Similar to folks, chickens are more happy and more healthy the more space that they have. Depending on the breed and size of the chicken their space needs can change, but at a minimum each chicken should have at least two sq. Feet of living space. It is definitely possible to get by with a little less space, but their productiveness may decrease. Also, close quarters could cause undue stress in the chickens, which in turn can lower their resistance to sickness.

Do not forget the scale of the Chicken Run

Unless you've got a enormous safe area that is's immune to predators, you'll need to provide your chickens with a fenced in chicken run. The chicken run is a space for chickens to move about and forage. It allows them room to excercise and wander around. Space wants for a chicken run average 8 to ten square feet in conventional designs, but may be much less for chicken tractor or chicken ark designs.

Chicken Coop Designs - The Bigger, The Better

Before you commence building, you have got a rather good idea of quite how much space you can give to your chickens. If you do not, you need to come up with a definite number of sq. Feet that you intend to use. Since each chicken wants 10 to 12 sq. Feet of total space, the maximum number of chickens that you can raise in your allotted space is easy to find.

Remember that it's faster and cheaper in the future to build your chicken coop bigger the initial time than it is to rebuild it or add on to it. This has 2 distinct advantages. The first is that it will permit you to increase your brood later on if you so want. Raising chickens is addictive, and there is a robust probability that when you get a few you may desire more. The 2nd benefit of bigger chicken coop designs is that your chickens will be happier and fitter. - 29953

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