subject: A Good Home Chicken Coop Makes Your Chickens Happy [print this page] Many people today are giving serious thought to having a home chicken coop in the backyard. The idea of fresh eggs and in some cases natural poultry meat with no added chemicals to enhance growth or prevent disease appeals to many. Some folks just like the idea of having a pet that helps maintain the lawn.
Oh Yeah and this pet can still give you eggs every day! But if you are thinking about putting a home chicken coop in your yard there are some issues you really need to think about first. Number one issue--Does your local municipality allow the raising of chickens in your backyard?
This is the first thing you need to know. Second - what will the purpose of the chickens be? It might seem a little crazy, some people have intentionally built mobile coops specifically to allow their chickens to maintain their grass by eating up the pest insects and naturally fertilizing the the soil.
Most of these people also benefit from the eggs collected. Knowing in advance what you want from from your chickens makes everything so much simpler. If you plan on poultry meat it is bad idea to make them pets. Once you have figured out what you want you can then make plans meet your goals. If your chickens are to be primarily for eggs, you can reasonably expect each (healthy) hen to produce one egg every 26 hours.
The cycle that controls this egg production is daytime light patterns (another reason for making sure, you have set up proper lighting in the coop). How many eggs you want each day will determine how many hens you need. The number of hens will determine the size of the chicken coop required. (Remember each chicken needs adequate space inside the coop)
A third issue to look at is the actual location of the coop in your yard. You will want to take advantage--if possible--of the natural attributes available. If you can keep the coop close to your house. You can maintain a watchful eye on your flock. Also pick a spot that will drain away water and any natural protection from the wind is a bonus.
Once you have fleshed-out these three issues you are in good shape to begin the design of your home chicken coop. Designing and building your coop will be a lot easier if you have quality building plans. Plans that cover all the issues needed to be covered--in depth. This is especially important for the novice.
Putting up a home chicken coop is supposed to be fun, easy, and shouldn't cost a lot. Get the right plans and you'll find that is true.
