An Egg a Day – How To Build a Chicken Coop

Do you know how rewarding it is to raise chickens? It's true, holding chickens in your backyard, either on a farm or in the city, can be very relaxing. And these pets have the added benefit of giving you a tasty treat for your breakfast table.

But what is required to raise chickens? If you are just starting out, it is important to learn how to build a chicken coop. As you can easily guess, doing it the wrong way will be a torture for the chickens and make the entire experience disastrous.

When done correctly though, building your own chicken coop can be cheaper, healthier and a lot more satisfying.

The first question you should ask yourself is how many birds do you plan to raise. This will be directly connected to the size of the chicken coop you're going to need to build.

Just remember that you will need to give each of your chickens at least 3 square feet of space to live comfortably with the other chickens in the colony. More space is always better, and if you happen to build too big of a chicken coop, you can always add more birds.

Want a tip that will make your job of cleaning the coop easier? You should put tiles down on the floor. Also by slanting the floor so it tilts slightly towards the door you are making it easier when you spray it clean. This will allow the water to run out the door. These are two things that high quality chicken coop plans will share with you, but not all of them do.

Just like your home, the chicken coop needs to be properly protected from unwanted intruders. These predators will be more than happy to take advantage of weak fencing or other Achilles heals.

Don't underestimate the dogs and cats in your neighborhood, they can be a threat to the safety of your chickens. But your chickens can also be at risk of being attacked by other animals. Rats can also pose a threat to your chickens, but so can foxes and coyotes, and depending on your location badgers might be a problem.

Take the predatory animals you have in your specific area and factor them in when you build the chicken coop.

Lastly, the importance of your chicken coops appearance cannot be over looked. A chicken coop can be a wonderful addition to almost any yard, when well built it will add an optical element that will wow family and friends. But if you fail to properly take the time to follow well written plans, or let the finishing touches fall on the wayside... You're running the risk of giving your neighbors an excuse to complain.

Chicken coops can be a fun and exciting way for you to enjoy a fresh egg every morning, but if they aren't handled properly they can turn into an eye sore. Just remember to put yourself in the shoes of those that live around you and ask yourself if you would like the coop. If the answer is no, then go over it and make any corrections.

Now that you know what is required for you to build a chicken coop, there is one final step. This is getting the plans and the materials. This is the exciting part, and one that anyone can handle no matter their experience level with the toolbox.

Read more on the subject here.