Chicken Coop Construction – Planning For Success
Chicken coop construction projects require planning and forethought in order to ensure that you chickens have the environment they need to lay a decent amount of eggs year round for you are your family. Giving your birds the kind of environment they need to be productive comes down to you following 6 critical steps when building a chicken coop.
Step 1 – Appearance of The Chicken Coop:
On a piece of paper sketch the design of the coop and give some thought to what colours you intend to use for the roof and walls of the coop with. If the chicken coop is going to be visible to others in your neighbourhood you should work to ensure that your coop does not look out of place in its surroundings and will not cause distraction or negative comments in your neighbourhood.
If you are using chicken coop plans then you are pretty much done with this first step as most good chicken coop plans contain aesthetically appealing coop designs and contain suggestions about suitable color schemes. Whether or not you follow chicken coop plans just make sure that you maintain the landscaping around the coop to ensure that the immediate environment around the coop is not overgrown (where predators could lurk) but also it helps maintain a well-kept appearance and adds to the visual appeal of a well-built chicken coop.
Step 2 – use your best judgment:
It sounds like a simple statement but it is easy to get involved in the detail and excitement of a new project that certain key elements can easily be overlooked. Building a chicken coop is no different and good judgment is called for at each stage of the design and build process.
In order to keep the coop clean and hygienic you will want to use building materials in which the cleaning tasks required in maintaining a healthy chicken coop will be as quick and easy as possible.
On a related point many people want to know how it is possible to build a chicken coop that has a floor which is easy to keep clean and that does not flood every time one cleans it down by using a hose. The solution is a simple one! When building a chicken coop always build the floor with a gentle slope towards the door. This will allow you to hose down the floor without flooding occurring and will leave your birds with a healthier environment after the cleaning process is complete.
Another trick which comes with experience really is to build a chicken coop with sliding windows rather than hinged or even open windows. Any window design other than sliding tends to encourage the birds to roost on the coop’s window frames and this is something to be discouraged – not least to avoid advertising a tasty treat to predators at night.
Step 3 – protection from the elements:
Protecting your hens is very important since not only are they your investment but you naturally want to care for them and want them to have the best environment possible. After all, happy hens mean more eggs! You will need to ensure that you protect your hens from bad weather (be it rain, wind, hale or snow) and also from prolonged cold conditions in colder climates. It is also critical to protect your birds from predators such as foxes, coyotes, raccoons and even dogs.
In order to provide your hens with the safe environment that they require you will need to build a chicken coop that gives the maximum protection possible. The solution is relatively straightforward.
Obviously the chicken house needs windows and doors to allow the birds access. However you will need to provide adequate screening on the doors and windows so that when ventilation is required (on which topic see more below) the chicken coop remains a secure environment for your hens. Adequate screening of windows and doors can be easily achieved by providing heavy mesh wire over these openings.
In addition to focussing on the structural integrity of the chicken coop you can provide optimal protection for your flock by constructing a perimeter chicken wire fence around the coop (which also provides a secure environment for the chickens to roam) and burying this into the ground to approximately one foot in depth. This will prevent hungry predators from digging under the fence to attack your flock.
Step 4. – Chicken Coop Ventilation:
After taking precautions to guard against predators many people then wonder how it is possible to give the coop the right ventilation so it does not end up smelling bad and impairing your birds’ environment.
You would be correct for being concerned that your birds receive a decent amount of fresh air and oxygen. Having said that it is important that the fresh air the coop allows is draught free air movement since you do not want your hens catching cold. It is critical to get the balance right and guard against draughts in the coop yet provide fresh oxygenating air and remove stale carbon dioxide laden air and excess moisture which can cause poor health amongst your flock. A well-built chicken coop always has effective ventilation to ensure that ammonia and dampness do not build up within the chicken house.
The location of the coop is important to pay attention to. In order to minimise dampness within the coop you should build a chicken coop on an elevated and well drained area if at all possible. You should aim to build a chicken coop in an area which faces southside so that the sun will warm and dry the coop and the surrounding area after a rain shower.
In respect of the walls of the chicken coop, it is important that these have correct insulation installed at the point of building the chicken coop as this will help ensure your chickens stay dry. Provided that your hens are dry they will be able to survive cold conditions well, however if they got damp because of excessive moisture in the air then that humidity combined with cold weather can cause serious health issues for your flock.
Step 5 – Light Source In The Chicken Coop:
Apart from helping to keep the coop dry facing the coop southwards (or at least facing its windows southwards) will help ensure that there is good light for your chickens in the coop. If you build a chicken coop facing south then the birds will receive direct sunlight for the greatest amount of time possible during the day.
- A well-built chicken coop means happy hens
If you want eggs all year round then when you build a chicken coop you should be sure to install an electric lamp. The best place for an electric lamp in the hen house is on the coop’s ceiling. Apart from providing light a ceiling-mounted light will provide heat all year round helping keep your chickens warm throughout the year and in turn helping them produce more eggs. For most chicken coops one ceiling light should be sufficient however for large chicken coops a light should be mounted on the ceiling every 30 – 40 feet.
Step 6 – Place Watering Points and Chicken Feeders Conveniently:
It is important to conveniently place the chicken feeders and watering points in the coop such that your flock can easily access them. However it is very important to place the feeders at approximately the height of your chickens’ necks such that they have to stretch their necks up to eat. The reason for doing this is that you want to avoid the chickens instinctively scratching at their feeders and therefore you want to place the feeds out of range of their feet. If you fail to do this you will experience the mess of chicken feed all over the floor of your chicken coop – something that many first time chicken owners experience, learn from and then move on. Now you don’t have to be one of them!
As with the feeders, make sure that the waterers are located at a height beyond the reach of scratching feet and make sure to keep the waterers topped up with fresh water throughout the day.
So there it is. Six easy steps to building an effective chicken coop which should help ensure that your hens are happy, healthy and productive. Whether you are planning on building a large chicken coop or a small one these six quick steps should ensure that you move forward in the correct direction.
What to do now for a successful chicken coop
Guys, did you know that on average North Americans spend approximately $350 to build a chicken coop? While this is certainly a lot cheaper than buying a ready-made coop, in terms of time it can be very expensive with some people spending up to two months building a chicken coop and many not being satisfied with the finished coop. Not an attractive prospect is it? A good set of chicken coop plans can save you almost all that time and save you a significant amount of money on materials by explaining precisely what materials are needed for a successful coop and advising where recycled materials can be used to cut material costs and reduce the carbon footprint of the project. To learn how to build a chicken coop to be proud of, that your hens will love and that will maximise the benefit of owning chickens for you and your family read onto the next page for chicken coop plans. There you have it folks, 6 vital steps for building a chicken coop.
