subject: Chicken Coop Design Tips for the Backyard [print this page] Chicken Coop Design Tips for the Backyard
So you've decided to raise backyard chickens have you? Well a good place to begin your plans of raising chickens in your backyard is in your chicken coop design .
Have you ever seen a wet hen...boy do they seem annoyed when they get wet. Hens are also susceptive to disease, so your design is critically important to give the chickens you raise good ventilation, lighting, water, food and other features that contribute to their care, safety and health.
A satisfactory nest that is safe and enclosed seems to be more to the liking of hens in general. When you first start to think about your chicken coop design, everything should revolve around the basics of keeping your chickens well watered and fed as well as reasonably clean.
When planning your design you must remember that caring for the chickens is your first priority.Of course keeping them safe should be a major concernbecause this is an investment of yours right?
Whether you are looking at a chicken coop design for:
those great tasting and nutritionally fresh eggs in your breakfast
getting the world's best fertilizer for your plants and garden, or
that feeling of independence and self-reliance that comes with providing for your family and yourself
There are some simple ideas you could think about when first planning your chicken house design and the thoughts about keeping your chickens safe and protecting your investment presents basic issues you need to consider, like:
Keeping your chickens safe from predators and other harmful animals.
Keeping them safe from the potentially hazardous and uncomfortable elements of the weather (rain, cold etc.).
A large enough chicken coop that will give them plenty of room and a clean area to live.
There are several different ways to go about getting what you want to fit your needs in a chicken coop design and these are some of your choices:
1. You can buy a pre-built chicken coop for sale:
this may be a option but will it fit in the space that you have measured and set aside for the chicken coop or does it even have the features that you need, the capability to expand if needed etc.
2. You can spend time designing your own chicken coop then building it:
ok, you may be talented enough or inspired enough to design your own chicken coop, but what about the labor for the design and the labor for building, do you have the time and can you afford it?
3. You can pay someone else to build it for you:
well if you have that kind of financial resource then most of your issues are resolved, but then again having someone else build it for you can bring on another set of problems (I'm sure you can think of some of them on your own).
4. You can buy plans to build it yourself:
even though this is a good option you have to do your research. Would you believe how expensive chicken coop plans can bereally?
Remember that no matter what, if you are going to grow chickens in the backyardit could be a very rewarding project. Just remember to start at the beginning with the proper tools for the job and that begins with a good chicken coop design that fits your needs.
