Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Tips for Building Chicken Coops



Building chicken coops can many times be a hard project to undertake. Particularly when you are unsure where to begin or what to do. So, here are a few tips on how to build a chicken coop. That way, you will know what you should do right now to build your birds a great coop. When building a chicken coop, bear in mind that it does not have to be eloquent or expensive. There are three tips to keep in mind. 



Location 

 

The location you pick will break or make your project. Healthy chickens require a dry chicken coop. Therefore, you need to choose a region that drains good even following a hard rain. Regions that are prone to holding water are not appropriate and must be avoided. 

The location you pick must get at least a couple of hours of sunlight each day. However, shade is also important because the coop will be so hot in the summer months that your chickens will just boil. If you could, try to make a wind break by having it sheltered by a bigger building around it, particularly on the northern side. You may additionally utilize huge evergreens to provide wind break just as well as shade and have predator protection. 



Ventilation 



Bear in mind that in the cold winter months, you will need lots of air to flow through the chicken coop. Fresh air will aid to keep the area cooler and also aid to keep it aired out. However, in the winter, you are going to have to be able to close up a few of the vents so that your birds don't get too cold. 

Cut vents that are 12 inches wide and run the length of the structure on the sides and the back. Put in double mesh wiring to let good air flow but to additionally shield the chickens from predators. Construct hinged doors to shut in the wintertime.

Design two doors along the back since it is such a long span so that you can open one and keep the other shut. Along the front, you will have to have double mesh wiring which is uncovered in the summertime and you will have to screw in a couple of panels of wood in the wintertime to make it warmer and be more air tight. 



Access 

Bear in mind when building a chicken coop that you'll have to have easy access to the inside for maintenance and cleaning  as well as to retrieve any eggs. Construct big double doors that will swing open and go one step more and have a concrete pad poured underneath it. This will let you easily remove all the shavings off the floor and sanitize the whole region monthly.
Photo:Simon Howden

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