Designing A Chicken Coop
Want to build your own hen house but have no idea about designing a chicken coop?
It’s OK.
There are sooo many people in the same boat so we’ll take you through the basics of what you’ll need.
Now you could have purchased a brand new coop but taking the time to making and designing a chicken coop all of your own is a great idea both economically and as a project that the whole family can get involved in.
psssst – most store-bought coops need to be put together from a flat pack anyway, so you would save money on materials by building your own.
Materials To Use When Designing a Chicken Coop;
The materials that you use when designing a chicken coop will be the major way that you can cut back on costs. Your coop will be mainly timber but it is up to you whether you go and buy it new, recycle from some old projects or scout around for cut offs from lumber yards. You can even use PVC piping in some instances.
Just make sure that you do not use MDF or other really low quality board as this is not only not strong enough, but is also not water resistant.
What Skills Do You Need When Designing A Chicken Coop?
Actually, if you can operate a hammer, add and subtract and have a little time – say a weekend, then you can design and create your own coop. The other thing that you might like to have is some imagination and have an idea about how you want your coop to look – Go on, get creative!
What Are The Basics That I Need To Know When Designing A Chicken Coop?
There are some fundamental rules for designing, putting together and running a good healthy chook house that you should keep in mind when you get started.
Room
Make sure that there is enough floor space per bird. A minimum of 4 square feet per chicken is the recommended amount for the coop. This will guarantee that they have plenty of room to move about.
Exercise
Content healthy chooks need exercise, just like us, so if your chooks won’t be free range, then a fair sized hen run is a must. The happier your chickens are the more habitually they will produce eggs and the better their eggs will taste!
Ventilation
Ventilation is vital for three reasons.
- Have you ever been inside a house that has not been cleaned out for a few days? That smell is ammonia and it accumulates in concentrated amounts in chicken poo. This gas is really harmful to humans and chooks
- Chickens are also susceptible to disease caused by damp air and damp houses, by allowing for plenty of air circulating you will not only minimize the gas in the bird pen but you will also aid to dry it out.
- Allowing air into the coop will also aid to keep the temperature within the pen to be restful for your girls, especially on warm days. An essential point to note; Make sure that any ventilation you put in is designed in such a way that it doesn’t cause cold drafts on the birds or leak in cold weather.
Climate Control
You also should make sure that when you are designing a chicken coop that has some sort of temperature control. It can be as simple as ventilation in hot climates or insulation in cold climates. If you live in climates that are prone to intense cold you might even need a heat lamp to make sure that your chooks are contented.
Elevation
Raising your coop off the ground is also a really good idea. This will help to prevent the hutch taking in water during flash flooding, help with ventilation and provide some security. Which brings us to our next point;
Protection
The last factor that you should to consider when designing a chicken coop is protecting your hens from other animals.
Measures like fully fencing your hen run, closing windows and doors at night and digging the run fence at least 1 foot underground, will really make a difference toward keeping your hens safe.
Water and Food
Think about where your feeders and water containers are going to go and their placement in relation to the nests and roosts.
Maintenance
When designing a chicken coop don’t forget about how easy it is going to be for you to collect eggs, clean and maintain. there is no point having an awesome looking coop that is a hassle to work with!
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