Thursday, February 24, 2011

Designing And Building A Functional Chicken Coop -Top Things To Consider

By Scarlett Taylor


Once you have decided that you want to raise chickens, make sure that the chicken houses must be fit for rearing your flock. A good poultry house should be able to satisfy the needs of your flock.

When we say essential, it means that each should be present, seen or felt. So, what are these factors? Keep in mind that everything should be deliberately planned in order to have a smooth sailing construction of your poultry houses.

Many have tried and were tested through time, and as we know, experience is the best teacher of all. So here are the important aspects that must be observed:

Enough Room for Activity

The size of the coop must be of direct proportion to the intended number of hens that will be occupying each unit. Your birds do need enough space to freely move. Don't forget to install roosts for resting at night, as well as nests for laying eggs.

Water and Food Containers

Constant supply of food and water will get your flock on the go, surviving hunger and thirst. For them to attain required nutrition, all food and water containers must be within their reach, always available on time for meals. Avoid putting your flock at risk for malnutrition.

Safety and Security

Once you enter the process of raising poultry, you can never get away with the issue on safety. In order to avoid unwanted attacks from all sorts of animal predators, surround your backyard with well-built wire fences, strong and firm enough to keep away aggressors all the time.

Exposure to Air

Being able to breathe is one of the gifts nature can offer us. But if this is not attained, a healthy and long life is impossible to achieve. To supply your poultry with the needed amount of air and proper ventilation, place windows on each coop that you intend to build. That way, your flock can enjoy breathing fresh air.

Healthy Sunlight

The windows placed are also meant to expose your flock with the necessary amount of light from the sun. But, build it on the southern side, facing the direct healthy rays of the sun. See to it that there are no buildings or trees that cover the sunlight's path.

Above are some of the very necessary factors that you must consider before you try to pound those hammers and install those roosts. It is greatly advised that a simpler design would provide a more suited place for your flock to settle; complicated designs would not do any better, so stick to the uncomplicated.




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