First it is important to sit down and decide how many chickens you are planning to take care of. You may have a rough idea, but now you need to decide on the exact number.
You see, each chicken needs at least 3 square feet of space inside the chicken coop. This is the bare minimum and it never hurts to actually calculate more space per chicken for the coop. If the coop is too big, there is always the option to add another chicken or two. But crowding them will be detrimental to the birds' wellbeing, as well as their ability to produce eggs.
Next you need to think about what you want from the chicken coop, do you plan on moving it around or do you want one that is fixed to the ground. There are two styles of chicken coop, one is portable the other is as you guessed fixed.
Both of these have their advantages and disadvantages.
The portable chicken coop allows you to choose where the birds will be in the yard. This is naturally practical if you want to move them around and keep them close to you. They are also easy to clean. You can move them to one spot clean them, and move them back to it original location without flooding the ground around the coop.
But they are often limited in size, so if you plan on keeping more than a couple of chickens you will want to use a fixed chicken coop. This type of coop is sturdier and is more resistant to wear and tear.
No matter which type of chicken coop you plan on building, you will need to put the right amount of effort into keeping your birds safe. This includes using the proper strength of building materials and fencing. There are many predatory animals that are all too happy to break into your hen house and reek havoc. This is a thought that you will have to overcome when you raise chickens. Some of the animals you might have to detour are the neighborhood cats and dogs. But rats can also pose a threat to your pet chickens. Larger animals such as badgers, coyotes and foxes can be a threat, though these are more common in the country.
The last thing you'll want to keep in mind when you are learning how to build a chicken coop is the appearance. This might seem like a small thing. But nobody likes to look at an unattractive chicken coop. This is often a misconception people have of them when you build a chicken coop in the city.
But this is a great opportunity for you to show how nice they can look and how great a pet chickens make. Besides that, they are the only pet that can provide you with company and breakfast!
Now that you've gotten the tricky part of learning how to build a chicken coop out of the way, it time for the fun part. There are many different styles and types to choose from. And as long as you can hold a hammer, you should be able to handle building a coop. Click here to get started!
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