The first thing to remember is, keep your neighbors in mind! Unless nobody but yourself will see your chicken coop, make sure that it's not an eye sore, and that your neighbors can live with it, too! This will save you a lot of frustration in the long term. Make sure to keep your chicken coop nice and clean, both for hygiene and aesthetics reasons. The next thing we need to think about is how much space you will need. Plan for at least 3 square feet for each animal. Don't cram too many birds into a too small coop. This will only do damage to your chickens' health and hurt the egg production. Also consider that you will need some space for a waterer and chicken feeder.
Build your chicken coop with hygiene in mind. The more thoroughly you plan early on in the process, the less work you will be faced with afterwards. For example, it's a good idea to build your chicken coop with a tilted floor, so that it will be easier to clean the coop. If you slope the floor towards the door, the water can collect and flow outside when you spray out the coop.
Your chicken coop needs to be weather and predator safe! Don't underestimate the will power of predatory pets such as your neighbors' cats or dogs - they may very well dig their way through. Badgers, raccoons, foxes and rats are a common threat to your chickens, too.
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