When building a chicken coop, it is suggested that you follow the guidelines below for a successful endeavor.
Item #1. – Appearance and Design:
Sketch out your design on a piece of paper before doing anything else. Think about the colors with which you will paint the roof and walls of the chicken coop. Always keep in mind that if your chicken coop is clearly visible to your neighbors (unless you live on a farm, it will most likely be visible to the entire neighborhood), it should never serve as a distraction or disfigurement from your more distant surroundings. So make sure you design an aesthetically pleasing chicken coop so that your neighbors won’t complain about its detrimental appearance. Once you are done, always remember to remove and dispose of any trash or weeds found around your coop. Try to maintain attractive landscaping around you to enhance your overall appearance.
Item #2. – Using good judgment:
When designing the structure of your chicken coop, you must use good judgment in almost every aspect of the way.
For example, you want to use building materials where cleaning and disinfection procedures are quick and easy. The doors you install should open inwards, not outwards. You don’t want your chickens perching on your windows, so it’s best to install sliding windows.
One question many people ask is how to build a chicken coop whose floors are easy to hose down and spray without making too much waterlogged. Well the secret to that is to slightly slope the floor towards the door. This way, when you spray the chicken coop, the water will flow away, therefore solving your waterlogging problem.
Element # 3. – Protection against Dangerous Elements:
So, do you want to learn how to build a chicken coop with maximum protection?
So listen.
As you may know, a well-constructed chicken coop will protect your chickens from dangerous elements like bad weather (heavy rain, wind, snow, cold weather, etc.), but it will also protect them from hungry predators, theft, and injury.
So how do we achieve that?
Easy. You want to build a draft-free coop with windows and doors that can be opened and closed as needed. Make sure that both windows and doors have proper protection systems installed, such as heavy-gauge wire mesh. Build the coop in a high but well-drained area to ensure the least amount of moisture in the coop. Be sure to build your chicken coop in an area that faces the sun, which will help warm and dry the ground and shelter itself after rain.
To protect your chickens from predators, the best thing to do is bury your outside pens with chicken wire around the coop about 1 foot deep. This will prevent some very hungry predators like raccoons, cats, and even dogs from digging under it.
Strategy #4. – Cooperative Breakdown:
You may be wondering how to build a chicken coop that will not only keep your chickens enclosed and protected from bad weather and predators, but also receive the proper ventilation it requires. If so, then you already understand the importance of draft-free air movement within the coop. Chickens, just like humans, need fresh air and oxygen. The same goes for removing excess moisture and unwanted carbon dioxide. A coop with ample air movement and proper ventilation will help remove ammonia buildup and moisture that can grow inside its walls.
Speaking of walls, the walls of the chicken coop should have proper insulation installed that will help keep the chickens dry. As long as chickens are dry, they can handle cold weather very well, but moisture plus cold weather will cause health problems for your birds. Therefore, insulated walls are a must.
Strategy # 5. – Light source:
If you want a good source of light and heat for your chickens during the cold months of the year and a solid source of ventilation during the warm months, be sure to install your chicken coop windows facing south where they will receive direct sunlight throughout the day.
On another note, if your goal is to raise chickens that produce excellent eggs year-round, then you should look for an electric light source. You should be able to easily install an electric light at ceiling height in your chicken coop that will help keep your chickens warm and help them lay better chicken eggs all year long. One overhead light should suffice for a small scale chicken coop, however for larger coops try installing an electric overhead light for every 30 to 40 feet.
Strategy # 6. – Drinkers and feeders for chickens conveniently located:
Chicken feeders and waterers should be placed where your flock has easy access to them. However, you must be careful where you place them because chickens like to make a mess on everything they eat due to their scratching instinct. You certainly don’t want to see the chickens’ feed mix all over the floor of the coop, so to avoid this, place the feeders at the height of the chickens’ backs. This way they will have to stretch their necks up to eat but will not reach the feeders with their feet. The same goes for the drinkers. Just be sure to keep the drinkers filled with clean, fresh water throughout the day.
There you have it guys. 6 quick and easy strategies that will show you how to build a chicken coop quickly and efficiently. Whether you’re building a full-scale chicken coop or a small one, these tips will get you moving in the right direction.
Folks, did you know that the average American spends around $300 to build a chicken coop? Some even put in over 2 months of work trying to assemble the damn structure and in the end they don’t even completely despise their product. Not very tempting, is it? A great chicken coop plan You can cut your time and efforts in half while saving you a lot of money on building materials. To learn how to build a chicken coop with maximum benefits for your flock without investing a magnitude of your time and money, click here:
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