Building a Chicken Coop can take a lot of time and investment, so you will want to make sure that you do it right the first time. If not constructed properly with the right materials and design your chicken coop will not last and your chickens will not remain healthy and productive.
The four key things you should NOT do when building a hen house are:
Not planning before you start building – Planning your chicken coop is the most important step you should do. I am a great believer in spending 80% of your time planning and the remaining 20% actually doing. When planning your chicken coop, you will need to establish exactly how many chickens you wish to keep so that you build a coop that is big enough to house all your chickens. If it’s too small, then your chickens will peck and antagonize each other.
Planning also involves ensuring you are building your coop in the right location. A badly positioned location can mean your chickens get insufficient light or the coop is placed in a location that is subject to flooding. Try to build where you get maximum sunlight as a damp coop is unhealthy for chickens.
Additionally, planning also entails the type of design that is most appropriate for the location and climate you are in. For e.g if your area is subject to flooding you will want to make sure you build your coop off the ground.
Not providing sufficient ventilation – Chickens need good ventilation to remain healthy and productive. Ventilation should be placed near the top of the coop so that as fresh air comes in, it will warm up and rise to the top of the coop and be removed through the ventilators. A chicken coop should not be drafty so be careful not to confuse ventilation with draft. So makes sure the windows and doors can shut properly without letting a draft in.
Not providing sufficient protection – Chickens need to be protected from the weather as well as predators. If your chicken coop is not built to withstand heavy weather such as high winds, heavy rain or snow then you will be putting your chicken’s lives at risk. Additionally, the coop must be built to protect chickens from pests in your area.
Keep the coop away from bushes, and where you can bury chicken wire under the chicken run to keep out animals that may try to dig under the coop.
Positioning feeders and waterers incorrectly – Chickens need fresh water and food and if these are not positioned correctly, they can easily get dirt and poop in their feed trays. Make sure these are positioned at around the height of the chicken’s back as this will ensure they can’t climb in and make a mess. Automatic waterers will also ensure you have a good clean water supply for your chickens as well.
Keep these things in mind before building a coop to avoid making costly mistakes!
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