subject: Building a Chicken Coop – Getting Started [print this page] Building a Chicken Coop Getting Started Building a Chicken Coop Getting Started
You have decided to raise chickens and now need a coop to keep them in. You can of course buy a coop, but these can be quite expensive, especially if they are brand new. Older coops may be quite weathered; so many people decide to build a coop from scratch. If you choose to do so, you need to determine the size and the type of materials you will need.
If you have experience at DIY projects, then the best approach is to sketch out the design of your coop, alternatively you can search the Internet for coop designs or blue prints of which there are many. These may give you some ideas for a custom built coop as well.
Ensure the materials you use are robust, can be easily cleaned and are solid enough to keep predators out, keep your chickens in and withstand weather changes and the extremes of summer and winter in your environment.
Your coop should be as airtight as possible but with good ventilation. This will ensure your chickens remain healthy, yet protected. Doors and windows should be fitted properly with no gaps. Chickens don't mind the cold so much, but they don't like dampness. If you live in an area where dampness is a problem, you may need to insulate your chicken coop.
Chickens also like an outside area to run around in. They are a friendly bunch, and like to forage around for bugs and other delicacies. If your chickens are in a fixed chicken run, this outside area should have buried wire to ensure the chickens cannot escape and other pests cannot burrow their way in. Keep them safe and you will have happy and productive chickens!
Inside your coop, your chickens will need nesting boxes and roosts. I generally recommend one nesting box per 3 chickens. They tend to lay eggs at different times. Try to keep your roosts at the same level otherwise your chickens will jostle for the highest position. Allow at least 23cm per chicken for your roosts, and if you don't like cleaning poop, then make sure you have good trays under the roosts as chickens lay about 50% of their poop at night.
Finally, place your waterers and feeders in locations that are not likely to be tipped over or contaminated with poop or feed. These should be changed and cleaned daily. Chickens like fresh water which they have at different times in the day. They enjoy communal feeding, so you make sure the size of your feeders accommodates the number of chickens you have.
Building a chicken coop can be a very rewarding weekend project if you have completed your planning work.
