How To Build A Chicken Coop
Tips And Tricks On How To Build a Chicken Coop
Learning how to build a chicken coop is not hard if you understand some basics. Chickens are generally not considered to be a difficult animal to take care of and only require a few simple things to keep them happy and content.
For instance, they require a warm place to live, shelter from the brutal winters and hot summers, a secure and safe environment for themselves and their young against their natural predators, plus food and water.
Here are some basic ideas on how to build a chicken coop.
You need to know how to build a chicken coop that is “snug” and not drafty; the constant draft can be harmful to the chickens. If you already have a chicken coop that just needs some improvement, or even if you have never considered building a chicken hutch before, by following a few simple rules and plans you can easily teach yourself how to build a chicken coop that you can be proud of.
The first step in learning how to build a chicken coop is to pick out the best suited location for the coop. You need to build a chicken coop on a piece of good non-saturated ground that does not hold water. Chickens require a dry area to maintain proper health.
This is a common mistake that most new chicken owners forget about when learning how to build a chicken coop.
You should always build a chicken coop on dry, level ground but NEVER directly on top of the ground. This is a vital step to take on learning how to build a chicken coop. Snakes and rodents can get into the chicken coop regardless of how much chicken wire you placed around the coop. These natural predators will always find a way in.
Ground predators are not the only concern. When chickens are outside the coop they become easy targets for chicken hawks and similar type birds. These flying predators will swope down and grab smaller chickens, which means you need to take precautions in protecting them from this type of predator.
A drafty design is not a good idea when learning how to build a chicken coop, but neither is trapping a large amount of humidity inside the coop. Just like your home, you want to have some type of access for air to circulate inside the coop. By using a simple air vent or a screened window you can regulate the amount of humidity.
The air vent or windows have to be able to opened and closed as changes in weather occur. You do not want a torrent of water coming into the chicken coop and causing flood damage to the structure or the chickens.
Chickens can fly, but not as good as other birds, so when deciding on how to build a chicken coop, keep these few things in mind.
Perches should not be constructed any higher than 3 to 4 feet from the lowest part of the floor to insure they do not injure themselves in the event they are startled and fall.
The nesting boxes should generally be constructed on a lower level than the perches. By doing this it will help prevent the chickens from thinking this the preferred sleeping area. The boxes should also be built with enough room to make the chickens feel comfortable.
When learning how to build a chicken coop and how to build the nesting boxes, be sure to put a slight slant to the top of the box due to the fact that a chicken loves to roost on top of flat area of the box. The slant will also aid in keeping the nesting boxes clean.
Install a ledge on the front side of the nesting boxes so that the chickens can balance themselves as they get themselves to and from the nest. By following these instructions you can learn how to build a chicken coop that you can be proud of and will last for a very long time.
