Saturday, May 28, 2011

How To Build Your Own Chicken Coop

By Horace Donahue


If you've decided to learn to build your own chicken coop, you are in good hands. It is not difficult, however it does need a bit of know-how which you can acquire right here.

The first thing you need to do is have a sketch of your new coop. This will include its design, the color you will use, how big it will be. It is important to think of your neighbors in the process. You don't want to have a coop that will really stand out and become the nuisance of the neighborhood. And never forget that once the coop is built, you should remove the garbage and debris accumulated since it makes the place look dirty and unkempt.

There are also some design principles that you need to follow. For example the windows of the coop should open inwardly. Also the materials you will use for the building of the coop should take into account cleanliness and disinfection, as they should be fast and easy to do. Afterall you don't want to spend all your time cleaning the coop. And when it comes to windows, they should be sliding ones so that your chicken will not roost on the windows.

An additional aspect that you need to remember and that relates to cleaning is the floor. Basically when you clean the floor, the dirt should go out easily through the door. You can do that by installing the flooring in a way that it slightly slopes towards that door at an easy angle. So when you are hosing the dirt with the water, it all flows outwards and does not get stuck inside your coop.

Proper protection of your chicken is important since afterall you don't want to wake up one day with all your chicken gone, stolen by wild animals or worse. So the protection of the coop is crucial in making sure that your chicken are safe and secure in their new home.

You want to build a draft free chicken house with windows and doors that can be opened and closed as needed. Make sure the windows and doors both have proper screening systems installed in them such as a heavy gage mesh wire. Building the chicken coop on a high yet well drained area with ensure the least amount of dampness of the coop. Be sure to build your chicken coop in an area that faces the sun which will help warm and dry the soil and coop itself after it rains.

To protect your chickens from predators, the best thing to do is to bury your outside runs with chicken wire all around the coop about 1 foot deep. This will prevent some very hungry predators such as raccoons, cats and even dogs from digging underneath it.




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