If you’re thinking about building a chicken coop, how to create one that lasts, then there are a number of things you’ll have to consider. Your chickens will need to feel both safe and warm in their home. Predators and weather are two of the most important things that you need to protect your chickens from, so that they feel comfortable enough to lay their eggs.
The Requirements for Your Chicken Coop Location
How to build a chicken coop isn’t as difficult as you may think. First, decide where the coop is going to be placed – don’t place it on ground that is susceptible to pools of water thanks to its saturation levels.
Don’t Let Predators Reach Your Chickens
The ground to create your coop on needs to be level, but slightly off the ground to make sure that predators can’t get into the coop so easily. Wire will also help, combined with building the coop raised from the ground.
Remember, predators won’t just crawl in from the ground, large birds and hawks may also be keen on your smaller chickens. This is why it’s important to make sure your chickens are protected when they’re outside from the coop.
The Inside
You don’t want the inside of the coop to be too humid, so ensure that air can get in through an opening. This could come in the form of a window, or even a vent. When people are learning about the chicken coop, how to build it themselves, they often take a shortcut and just carve a hole, nailing a screen over it. But if the weather turns bad, you are going to need a gap that can be closed.
You shouldn’t place the perches too high off the ground, as chickens aren’t the best birds when it comes to flying – it’ll only hurt them if they fall. Build them a maximum of three to four feet from the ground. The nesting boxes are placed lower down, and must be deep enough to be comfortable for your chickens. A slanted top on the nesting boxes is always a good idea to make them as easy as possible to clean. You’ll also need a front ledge to make it as easy as possible for your chicken to get in.
When designing a chicken coop, how to build one that lasts means you ought to make a coop to the highest standards possible. Put the effort and time in now and also you’ll save hassle in the future.
Don’t build a chicken coop that isn’t going to last! It isn’t as difficult as you might expect to make one that will last. Read the reasons why you should not buy chicken coops and head on over to Chicken Coop House for everything you know to easily build your own in a weekend!