Building AChicken Coop

Building A
Chicken Coop
Bill Keene
©BuildingAChickenCoop.com 2009
Disclaimer: The information in this guide is for educational and entertainment purposes
only. The author and affiliates are not responsible for any loss, damage or injury in
connection with this information.
Copyright: You may not distribute this eBook in any shape or form without prior written
consent from the author. Piracy will be prosecuted.
Contents
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3
Choosing The Right Chicken Coop ............................................................................ 6
Choosing The Right Materials For Your Chicken Coop ........................................... 19
Positioning Your Chicken Coop ............................................................................... 28
Protecting Your Chicken Coop ................................................................................ 36
Building Your Chicken Fence .................................................................................. 47
Controlling The Climate Of The Chicken Coop ....................................................... 51
Finishing Your Coop ................................................................................................ 64
Cleaning and Maintaining the Chicken Coop ......................................................... 75
Signs Of Chicken Health .......................................................................................... 80
Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 83
Introduction
So you’re thinking of building your own chicken coop. This is one of the best decisions
you’ll ever make for a number of reasons.
First, building your own chicken coop is going to give you complete control over a
variety of factors. You can build the chicken coop to look just as you’d like it to, to the
size you want to have it, using the materials you wish to use, and with methods that you
feel comfortable using.
The second big reason why you’ll be happy with your decision to build your own coop is
because of the savings you’re about to experience. When you purchase a commercial
chicken coop, you’re going to pay a great deal for this convenience – much more than
you would have paid just buying the materials yourself.
As long as you’re able to follow directions and are somewhat creative when it comes to
imagining what you want your chicken coop to look like, you can successfully build a
house for your chickens that will last for years to come.
Before we get started talking about all the main things you must keep in mind
throughout the building process, it’s important to understand some key points.
Initially I would suggest you read through this entire guide so you can first grasp the
material before even starting. Later on in the book we’ll discuss issues such as how to
finish your coop, what you will need to do to maintain and clean your coop, and ways of
controlling the climate.
Understanding these factors first will ensure that you are making the best decisions
initially when it comes to size, wall materials, windows, and so on. If you were to rush
into the building process right off the bat before reading everything through, you may
later regret it when you learn new information you had wished you knew.
After your first reading, take a few days to let everything sink in a bit. Then you will
have a much clearer idea as you proceed through the book the second time (while
actually working on the building process) of what you’re looking for.
If you don’t understand any portions as you go through, reread them until you do. A
complete understanding is necessary to have maximum success, so it’s something you
need to be sure of.
Throughout the book we are going to go over a high number of different options you
can use for the building process, so don’t become too concerned if you do feel
overwhelmed. At times it is common, but as you progress you should get a much better
idea of what it is you’re looking for.
If you’re a first time builder, it’s going to be a bit of a learning process for you, so be
patient with yourself and start the building process far enough ahead of when you want
the coop to be finished so you don’t ever feel rushed.
Don’t be afraid to consult with other chicken farmers for their opinions as well, since
sometimes having that experienced eye will help you better determine exactly what it is
you’re looking for.
Most people you’ll find are fairly receptive to providing you with information on how
they are finding the chicken coop they built and identifying things they would do
differently the second time around to make it more successful.
By gathering this information (if it is indeed available to you), you’ll improve the overall
chances that you have the most success possible with your chicken coop.
So let’s get started with the specific information now with how to go about choosing the
right chicken coop for you.
Choosing The Right Chicken Coop
Choosing the right type of chicken coop to meet your needs is going to be one of the
most critical things you do as you go about the building process. When you make the
mistake of choosing the wrong chicken coop, everything after that is just going to
intensify the situation, and chances are once you do realize that you’ve built the coop
incorrectly, you’re going to have to start completely from scratch once again.
There are a number of different factors that you will need to consider as you go about
building the chicken coop, so looking at it from a variety of angles will help ensure that
you’re taking everything into consideration and don’t come to realize your mistake once
everything has been built.
Let’s look closely at the issues to keep in mind.
Size
The number one concern is going to be the size of the chicken coop you want to build.
Sizes can range from a very small chicken coop to the very large that is used when
you’re planning on raising chickens for commercial purposes.
The most important thing you need to know regarding chicken coop size is that you
definitely do not want to build too small. When your chickens start to feel overcrowded
in their coop, that’s when they’re going to start misbehaving, picking at the floor, walls,
or scattering their food about, and eventually stop laying eggs properly.
Nothing is more frustrating to a chicken farmer than waking up to discover your

chickens are not laying eggs, so this is something to take seriously.
Chicken coop plans tend to be categorized into small, medium, and large sized, giving
you three different options to choose from.
Benefits To A Small Sized Chicken Coop
The primary benefits you’ll get when you choose to build a small sized chicken coop are
the fact that first it’s going to help save you on costs. Since you will need fewer building
materials to complete a small sized chicken coop, you’ll save there. Secondly, smaller
chicken coops will be easier to take care of and maintain just due to the fact there is less
total land area.
Another benefit to choosing a smaller size chicken coop for some individuals is that you
do have the option of making it a mobile chicken coop as well. If you’re someone who
wants to keep your chickens as pets as well and enjoy their company, this makes it very
easy since you can transport the coop to wherever you need it to be. This also makes
cleaning the coop and upkeep easier as well.
If you’re someone who has a smaller yard that will make choosing a smaller sized coop a
smart decision as well. If you don’t have a lot of land space available, it may be hard to
locate a large enough piece of land that will be capable of being built on, so again a
good reason to opt for this size.
Finally, the last advantage to a smaller sized chicken coop is the fact that it is slightly
easier to build. Since you won’t have to have as much support to keep the roof in tact
and the entire coop as it should be, it’s a good idea for the very beginner.
If you are feeling somewhat nervous about the process of building your own chicken
coop, it’s a good place to start. Not to say you can’t opt for a medium or large size, just
that typically you’ll be able to easily proceed with the smaller size instead.
The drawback to a smaller sized coop is obviously that if you choose this size, you’re not
going to be able to just add more chickens without having any problems. If down the
road you did want to accommodate more birds, you’d either need to build another
smaller sized coop or build a new larger one to replace it.
So, think hard about how many birds you want to keep first and let that dictate whether
you choose a smaller size. If you at all think that you may want to hold more chickens,
then you should opt otherwise.
Generally a good range for a smaller chicken coop is between 1-3 chickens total, which
will allow them enough room to really move around throughout.
The Medium Sized Chicken Coop
The next size of chicken coop you can build is a medium size, which will accommodate
more chickens but still not take up quite as much room as the large size. Many people
like to use the medium sized chicken coop as a bit of an intermediary since it’s one step
up from the smaller size, allowing you to progress your chicken flock if you wish to in the
future.
If you are feeling unsure about how many chickens you do plan to have in a year’s time,
this is a good option since you can start smaller and add more without having to use up
a big land area for the large sized coop.
You can also usually fit two feeders into a medium sized coop without any problems, so
that’s another benefit and may give your chickens a more enjoyable environment to be
in. Sometimes if you are going to place the maximum number of chickens in the small
coop they will start fighting over food portions and scattering food around the house.
This can become quite annoying to have to clean up day after day, so it does make for a
good reason to choose a medium sized coop over a small one if you’re planning on more
than two chickens.
The chicken range for medium sized coops is about 3-7 chickens, so keep that number in
mind if you’re leaning towards this direction.
The Large Sized Coop
Finally, the large sized chicken coop is a smart option for those individuals who are
planning on housing a larger number of birds and potentially selling their eggs to
distributors. The large size is also good for those who are living on a larger farm and
have the extra space to accommodate the increased size.
Just because it is a larger chicken coop doesn’t necessarily mean you must fill it with
chickens. You could easily still place 5 or 6 chickens in there – this would just mean they
have more room to move around which is always a good thing.
If you do want to keep more chickens however, this is certainly also possible and you
can hold from seven upwards, depending on just how large you make it. If you do
decide you’re going to keep 10+ chickens, you may want to consider implementing
some walls dividing the inside into sections, since this will keep the chickens separated a
bit more and keep the coop organized better.
It is your decision - you certainly don’t have to build dividers, but it is something that
many chicken farmers do find helps them so something worth thinking about.
The downsides to the large sized coop is obviously that it will be more pricey to build for
the fact there will be more landscaping involved, more building materials that will be
needed, and more upkeep done on a regular basis.
If you are following the principles in this book though then you’ll still be able to keep
costs down, but you should be prepared to spend more than if you would have built a
small sized coop.
Also, keep in mind that you should have a fence that’s surrounding the chicken coop to
help keep predators out (more on this later), so if you are going to use the large size,
make sure you also have enough total land area to build the fence as well.
When it comes to actual size guidelines, a good guideline to use is a minimum of 4

square feet per chicken if you are planning on building a chicken run around the house
and a minimum of 10 square feet if you aren’t. This will help ensure that they have
enough room to move around and don’t start to feel overcrowded.
Having the chicken run really is beneficial and we’ll get to this more later, so strongly
consider implementing this into your chicken coop to help with the total size
considerations of it.
Think hard about what size of chicken coop you want to build. This is critical because if
you don’t get it right, you very well may struggle with your chickens laying eggs
regularly. It’s typically the top complaint that chicken farmers have about the coops
they’ve built – they went too small and now wish they would have built bigger.
If you know a small sized chicken coop is right for you, then that’s fine – build it small.
But if there is any doubt, I’d highly suggest going for a medium or large sized coop
instead.
Appearance
Moving on, the second thing you’ll want to consider before getting started with the
building process is the appearance of the chicken coop. Larger chicken coops are going
to have to have larger structural integrity demands therefore they may not always look
as ‘neat and tidy’ so to speak as smaller chicken coops.
This will depend on your own building style however, so don’t think that any large sized
chicken coop is automatically going to have a negative appearance since that’s not the
case.
You will also need to build more windows into a larger chicken coop as well, so keep
that in mind. Many people like the looks of windows on their chicken coop, but if you’re
someone who doesn’t that may factor into your building decision as well.
The materials you choose, which we’ll get into options shortly, will also have a
significant influence on the overall appearance of the chicken coop. If you’re planning
on building a wooden chicken house, this will look quite a bit different than if you are
going to use plastic materials that you happen to have around the house. Being sure
you make a good connection to the material selection and how it’s going to look will
give you a good idea of what to choose.
Individuals who want a very professional looking chicken coop will want to ensure that
all the building materials they use are completely uniform. This will help keep unity
throughout the chicken coop, making sure it looks as good as it should.
Finally, keep in mind that there is always the option of painting the chicken coop as well.
This can help make the chicken coop look that much better once it’s finished,
particularly if you’re combining a few different types of building materials. As an
additional advantage, painting the chicken coop can also help keep the material
protected better, so it’s a good thing to do regardless.
You don’t necessarily have to paint it right away either. You could paint it down the road
or repaint it as well. There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing painting
options that this really does allow for a lot of customization and making it your ‘own
chicken coop’.
Cost
Finally, it’s time to talk about the third thing that’s going to impact your building a
chicken coop, cost. You’ve already made the decision to build your own chicken coop
and that’s great because it will make a big difference on the total cost to you.
There are a few main things that will influence cost. Let’s look at each of these briefly.
Size
As discussed above, size is going to be a primary thing that will influence the total cost
of your chicken coop. The larger the chicken coop you build, the more money you will
expend on building supplies, so that’s going to be your main cost that you need to keep
in mind.
Don’t choose to build smaller thinking you can fit your chickens in it just to save costs
though. If you attempt this, you will have to rebuild and will just end up spending more
money down the road.
You’d be better off opting for some cheaper materials but keeping the size where it
needs to be than using more expensive materials but neglecting size considerations.
Landscaping
The next big thing that will influence the cost of your chicken coop is landscaping. If you
live in an area that doesn’t have land that’s suitable for building on, you’re going to have
to spend money to get it landscaped properly. This is vital otherwise the walls may start
to lose their structural integrity over time, also causing you to have to rebuild portions
of the house.
You can choose to either hire a professional landscaper for this, which can get pricey so
keep that in mind, or you can go at it yourself if you think you can effectively handle
doing it yourself.
The main thing to keep in mind is that you want the ground you’re building on to be firm
enough that weight on it doesn’t cause it to settle. You also need it to be completely
level in the entire area so it’s easier to be sure the walls are balanced and level.
You can choose to have the floor of the coop a variety of different materials. Some
chicken farmers actually prefer using sand or gravel over dirt, but one thing to be aware
with this is using this will put you at a higher risk of your chickens moving it around the
chicken coop. You may need to go in on a regular basis to rake it, being sure it stays as
level as it should.
Grass is another option that you can use, but then you’re going to need to purchase a
hand mower to make sure it stays trimmed inside the chicken coop. This is a much less
popular option, but one none the less. Most people will opt away from grass due to the
increased upkeep, but if you’re dead set on using it, that’s fine as well. It’s not going to
increase the cost of the coop any more than the cost of the mower and possibly
fertilizer you use to maintain it.
Wood is typically the most common option, especially for mobile chicken coops since
it’s pretty much a must. Be sure you’re choosing wood that is very stable and firm since
the wear and tear on it will be the highest.
Finally, firmly packed dirt is a last option. This is great option for those who are looking
for something cheap and want less upkeep. You just want to be very sure you are
packing the dirt down very well or else you’ll run into a similar problem as you would
with the gravel or sand. Also, you’ll want to be sure you’re using waterproof materials
as well, since if a great deal of water does get into the coop, you could end up with a
muddy mess with the dirt flooring.
Typically this isn’t a big problem unless you live someplace where there is a very high
amount of precipitation, but still something to keep in mind.
So there you have the main flooring types that you can choose for your chicken coop.
It’s good to have a clear picture what type of floor you want to use since it is something
that is quite a bit harder to change down the road once your chicken coop has been
built and is standing.
Windows/Electrical Light
Finally, the last thing that will impact your cost and what you should also consider when
trying to choose the right chicken coop is the lighting source you plan to use. The most
optimal lighting source – natural sunlight, is also going to be the most cost effective
since it’s virtually free.
All you will have to factor in is the initial costs of building the windows in the house,
however that is extremely minimal. It is important though that you get the windows
built correctly so you can maximize the amount of natural sunlight you receive.
Ideally you want them to be just above the chicken’s height level since this will prevent
the sun from shining directly into their eyes, but rather cast natural light over the entire
top level of the chicken coop, lighting the entire space up.
You should also build the windows big enough that they are providing light exposure to
all corners of the chicken coop. This is important because if you skip over it your
chicken may have the illusion of being a lot more closed in than it really is and that could
severely prevent your chickens from laying eggs like they should be.
In most cases you will be able cut the window out of the wall initially and then place the
wall up as if it was standing in place to be fastened to the coop and get a good indication
as to whether it’s going to be big enough. If it isn’t then you would begin making it
slightly bigger, repositioning it, checking it, and repeating the process until the window
was big enough.
It’s better to error on the side of being slightly too big than too small with this, so don’t
be afraid of a larger window size. Obviously though you will need to place some type of
covering over the window (wire typically works quite well) to prevent birds from getting
in or your chickens from trying to get out.
Windows are also going to influence the overall appearance of your chicken coop, so be
sure you’re also thinking about that aspect of things. Try and make sure you’re using a
straight edge when cutting the windows since that will keep things neat and tidy. Most
people have no problems with adding the windows to the coop and making it look
attractive, but penciling the cuts on first is generally a smart move just to make sure
you’re right on track with doing it correctly.
It’s also a smart plan to try and make all the windows on all the walls of the coop
relatively the same size as this will create a nice uniform appearance all around it. It’s
when you get windows staggered around the coop that you really notice it’s not looking
as great as it could and wish you would have spent more time figuring out how to do the
windows properly.
Now, if you decide you don’t really want to build that large of windows in the house,
your alternative option is to run some form of electrical light into the coop. This will
work much better if the coop is positioned somewhere close to the house or where you
have an electrical outlet, so make sure you keep that forthright in your mind when
deciding exactly where you are going to build the coop.
Running electrical light can get extremely expensive so I’d definitely put some good
consideration into the previous option of building windows if you want to reduce your
cost. The primary reason why you should resort to electrical light would be if you live in
a climate that doesn’t get many hours of sunshine daily (very cloudy climate) or if you
must build your chicken coop in an area that’s a great deal more shaded, preventing the
light from getting in properly.
So, when you’re just starting out and trying to determine the right chicken coop to meet
your needs, double check and ensure that you’re factoring in all of these consideration.
Give it a week or so to sit on to make sure you’re fully satisfied with the decisions you’re
making because once you start the building process it’s a little harder to reverse it and
just start doing something else. It is possible but it could mean a considerable amount
of backtracking, which is likely something you’d rather not have to do.
Next we’re going to talk about choosing the right materials for your chicken coop, which
should be done after all of these factors have been taken into consideration.
Choosing The Right Materials For Your Chicken Coop
One of the things that will influence the price of what you spend to build the chicken
coop the most is the building materials. Many people struggle with this since they don’t
really have a firm idea of what all they can use to build the chicken coop with, so often
they wind up spending more money than they really have to in the process.
Ideally you should be factoring a few main points into determining which materials you
will use first. By identifying these you can better pinpoint exactly which ones you should
be getting so you can be fully satisfied with your chicken coop.
Here is what to consider.
Location Of The Chicken Coop
The first thing you will want to factor in is the location of the chicken coop. If you’re
building it quite close to your house, you’re probably going to be much more concerned
about the overall appearance of the coop than if you were to build it further away
where most people will not see it.
Since different types of woods will definitely project unique images after the coop is
built, you’ll want to think about what you want the end project to look like when
choosing your materials.
Obviously you’re not going to want to choose a variety of different types of woods to
construct the coop with since this will leave you with a lot less of a uniform image. If
you’re looking to build your coop as cheap as possible, one way to do this is by
searching around for older pieces of wood that you can use, but by doing so you may
end up piecing together different types of wood, which will then influence the look.
So, it may come down to choosing appearance of the coop versus total building costs.
Whatever is most important to you should be what you focus on (for some individuals,
they may have enough wood of one type to build the entire coop so they won’t have to
worry about this issue).
Type Of Climate You Live In
Moving on, the second thing you’ll have to think about as you go about choosing your
materials is the type of climate you live in.
Do you live in an area that gets a great deal of rain or snow? Can it become quite windy
around where you live? How much natural sunlight do you get?
These are all questions that will influence the material choice since different wood types
will withstand moisture and heat differently. Make sure you’re matching your climate
to the right type of wood.
For example, if you do live in an area that gets a fair amount of rain, opting away from
purchasing plywood might be a good idea. This type of wood can become soft when
wet and eventually that could seriously hamper its structural integrity.
Similarly, cedar and redwood may also be prone to water damage, so if you’re building
your coop out of this type of wood it may start to look different as time progresses. You
can solve this problem however by using an exterior oil based primer before you paint
the wood to protect against moisture.
Reconstituted wood products are another type you will want to watch as when they are
used in fluctuating moisture conditions it can cause the surface fibers to be dislodged,
which results in an unstable surface. If you re-prime it you can help prevent this, so that
is a step you won’t want to skip if you’re going to choose this type of wood.
When choosing your wood, doing your absolute best to prevent water from getting into
the coop is vital to your chicken’s overall health. When there is a high amount of
moisture in the coop chickens can become very sick and even start to become diseased,
which will spread very rapidly to all the birds contained in the coop.
It’s highly advised that no matter what type of wood you are buying, you treat it with a
water sealer yourself. Don’t purchase a pre-treated wood, but do it on your own as this
way you can ensure it’s done properly. It may take a few extra hours out of your time to
do this but it will save you many hours of frustration down the road.
So, make sure you factor in climate quite heavily in your decision with regards to the
building materials you choose to use. It’s one of the more important factors and needs
to be done right.
Desired Level of Maintenance
The next thing that you’ll have to factor in when it comes to building your chicken coop
and deciding materials is the amount of maintenance you want to be doing on a regular
basis. Certain types of woods will require more upkeep and maintenance, so you’ll have
to be prepared for this.
Expect to always do a little bit of maintenance on the coop though as that will be
required to ensure it lasts. In most cases though this won’t be a huge issue - maybe an
hour here or there out of your time.
Size Of The Chicken Coop
Another thing that will factor in with the building materials you’re going to use is the
size of the chicken coop. If you’re building a smaller size then you won’t need to use as
heavy of wood types since these coops won’t be required to be quite as stable and have
as much ‘weight’.
If you’re going to be building a very large coop then you’re also going to want to think
about potentially adding pillars into the coop to help hold up the roof, so you’ll have to
plan to get building materials for that as well.
Any type of beam would work fine for this purpose so look around your house as there’s
surely something you can use. As long as you can cut it down to reach the desired roof
height level it should work fine for this purpose.
Mobility Of The Chicken Coop
Finally the last thing you should factor in is the mobility of the chicken coop. Building a
mobile chicken house is something that many people start thinking about to help them
easily maintain and transport there chickens to wherever they would like them to be.
If you are going to be building a mobile chicken coop you will need to have a proper
base for it and a solid wheel system so it’s easy to move around. Make sure that you are
choosing a very sturdy piece of wood (or some people will even clamp the walls to a
piece of metal for this purpose) to ensure the ground floor is stable.
If you are going to use metal, you’ll want to add some sort of covering as well for the
chickens to stand on. A light piece of wood, some grass or straw or even carpet scraps
can work for this purpose.
Creating The Chicken Fence
Adding a chicken run to your chicken coop is a very smart plan because it’s this that will
help to keep predators out. You should take a good overview of all the different
predators in your area that could potentially try and get at your birds so you can easily
identify them and make sure they are not going to pose a problem for you.
Many individuals overlook certain predators (especially smaller animals that can dig
underneath the ground), which can become a large issue as time passes. Don’t overlook
anything. There are a variety of different animals that do have the potential to disrupt
your coop – maybe not necessarily kill the chickens but they could do damage to the
outside of the chicken coop which will cause a number of headaches for you. Making
sure you’re taking care of this is vital to the long-term success of your coop.
Typically a good option for building the run with is chicken wire, which is built around a
circle around the coop. You’ll want to be sure you’re leaving ample area between the
coop and the fence for the chickens to move around, with the greater number of
chickens you’re keeping the higher total land area you must allow for.
You might also plan to build a regular fence out of wood as well depending on your own
preference. This is one way to conceal the coop more from plain view sight if you’re
worried about how it looks in relation to your house.
Building a wooden fence will make it look very professional but at the same time will
likely cost you more as well. Also, you’ll obviously be required to know how to build a
fence itself, which most people don’t struggle with all that much, but it will be an extra
task at hand that you’ll need to deal with.
It’s nice to be able to match the type of wood you use for the fence to the type of wood
you’re using to build the chicken coop, but it doesn’t always work out this way either.
Whatever you do, just always choose function ahead of looks because protecting your
chickens is not something you want to play chance with.
Insulation
Another thing that you may need to factor into your building plans for your chicken
coop is properly insulation. If you live in a cooler climate this will be especially important
because insulation is what will help your coop maintain a good temperature for the
chickens to stay in.
You don’t want to it be too high or too cool as that can influence how regularly they are
laying eggs. They will not form eggs properly if their body temperature is not kept at
the correct temperature, so you need to be sure you’re doing what you can to achieve
this.
If you live in a climate that’s fairly moderate all year round, you might be able to get
away with little insulation if any at all. If you do have typical seasons though – a defined
summer and winter, insulation will be a must.
One nice thing to point out as well is that if you are building a mobile chicken coop,
during the winter months if it does get quite cold you could actually keep the chickens in
your garage or shed, but then you’ll also be battling with not getting natural light. It is
an option that is there for colder days though when you do have that mobile chicken
house.
Any main type of insulation should be okay to use, so look around and decide what’s in
your budget range. As long as you’re taking the steps talked about above to help reduce
the chances of water leaking into the chicken house insulation shouldn’t be something
you have to worry about too much – as long as it’s there and functioning you should be
able to maintain a good temperature in the chicken coop.
Windows
Finally, you may also want to purchase materials for the windows you will build in the
chicken coop. Some individuals choose to just cut holes in the walls, but at the very
least it’s a good idea to add some wiring throughout the window to prevent birds from
flying in.
A much better option is getting a pre-built window that has insulation and you can just
put right in yourself. These windows are a bit nicer since they will allow for a cool
breeze to flow through the coop in the summer months but then also keep out the
cooler air during the winter months, giving you the best of both worlds.
Make sure you’re planning for the windows before purchasing the building materials for
the walls as well since that is what will keep your chickens comfortable the entire time
they are living in the chicken coop.
So those are the main things that you need to think about when it comes to choosing
the materials for your chicken coop. If you are just building a very small chicken coop
(for 1-2 chickens), you may be able to find a wooden box that is large enough lying
around that you’ve used for something in the past that you can utilize.
Also think about piecing scrap pieces of wood together for the walls as if you do this
correctly it can be highly effective as well, and really help lower your total costs. Be sure
you have a good look around before running out to purchase materials since in most
cases, people do have materials present that they can make use of. You may need to
buy one or two pieces of material but it’s not like you’re going to have to purchase
absolutely everything you need, which will certainly save you a great deal in costs.
Next we’re going to move on and talk about the positioning of your coop, helping to
make sure you’re making the most out of your location.
Positioning Your Chicken Coop
While building the actual chicken coop properly is going to be the most important thing
if you want to actually have chickens that lay eggs, where you choose to position your
chicken coop will make a huge difference in how often your chickens are laying eggs.
There are a variety of factors that you need to consider to make sure you’re chicken
house is built optimally so taking some time to take them into account is well worth
your while.
Here are some of the main things you should be thinking about.
Predators and Protection
The first factor you need to consider is predators. Making sure your chickens are
protected will be highly important to ensure your coop lasts a long time. Predators are
the number one issue that those with chicken coops face, so making sure you’re
choosing a location that is somewhat sheltered from predators will go a long way.
Then you also want to be sure you’re making use of a chicken run and fence to further
help keep them away. Make sure you consider a variety of animals that could
potentially cause an issue with your chicken coop. These include coyotes, foxes, dogs,
hawks, skunks, opossums, dogs and cats.
Any animal that can dig underground should also be protected against as these very
often will begin to burrow underneath the fence you have built and attack the chickens
in that manner. If you can find a location in your yard that is furthest away from where
predators naturally tend to be, you’ll fair better at reducing your chances of an attack.
If you have other barns or sheds, consider placing the coop around it as this can help
shield it from the predator’s view-sight, reducing the chances that they attack as well.
This is one really large advantage to choosing to build a mobile chicken coop – it will
allow you to move the coop closer to your house so you can keep a watchful eye over
the animals in case something tries to attack one of them. Many individuals who are
keeping the chickens as pets really prefer this too since it allows them much easier
access to the birds as well.
If you aren’t going to use a mobile chicken coop though then you can just consider
locating the chicken coop closer to the house, in the backyard perhaps, but just keep in
mind with this too that this will work better for the smaller sized coops due to the fact
there will be less total area needed and they typically won’t smell as bad as the larger
ones due to the fact there is a reduced number of chickens living in them.
Land Elevation
The next factor that you should be considering in your decision of where to locate the
chicken coop is the elevation of the land. If you’re building the chicken coop in a low
lying area, you could potentially experience issues with rainwater running into the coop
and settling in the surrounding area. This will dramatically influence the coops ability to
maintain its integrity and up your chances that the wood begins to rot, or worse, the
chickens just become flooded.
Ideally you want to find a place that is either on a hill or else is elevated enough that
water tends to run away from the area rather than to it.
If you have no such area around your house, then you might want to consider getting
some dirt and building a hill (lay sod on top of the dirt once you’re finished) so you can
accomplish this. It’s not to say you need to have a massive hill to build your coop on,
just that you definitely want it to be on land that’s either level or on a slight elevation.
Even just a small amount will help you out in the long run.
Sunlight Exposure
Next, you also must consider sunlight exposure. Making sure your chickens are getting
enough sunlight will be critically important for them to remain healthy and happy in the
coop.
Windows are going to play a large role in this regard, but even with windows, the
sunlight has to be able to get in. Survey your yard over the course of a week and see
which area tends to get the most natural sunlight. This will vary depending on the time
of year as well, but the land position itself will make a difference.
You don’t want to be building the coop anywhere that has a lot of shading from nearby
plants or other buildings, since this will make it incredibly difficult to get the natural
sunlight that your chickens require.
This is also one reason why building on a hill or piece of elevated land tends to be
beneficial because it will prop the coop up, increasing the amount of natural sunlight it
receives.
Wind Direction
Moving on, after you’ve taken care of the sunlight factor, you should also think about
the wind direction that the coop will experience on the most frequent basis. Do you get
high winds? And if so, what direction are they typically coming from most often?
Identifying these issues will help enable you to choose the best location and facing for
your chicken coop.
Since ventilation is a critical aspect of building the chicken coop, if you can plan to face
the air vents towards the direction of the wind, this will make things much easier for
getting the volume of ventilation they need.
Another thing you may want to think about as well is placing the door away from the
side of the house that’s receiving the wind. This is a minor detail but can be handy
when you’re trying to get in and out of the coop regularly. If the wind is constantly
blowing and you’re opening the door to get in, it could cause issues with either the door
staying shut all the time or it flying open uncontrollably. With enough wear and tear
you’ll find that you’re constantly replacing door parts, which can get to be quite the
nuisance after a while.
By switching the door to the side of the coop that’s sheltered from the wind, you will
avoid this issue altogether.
Proximity To Your House
This was touched upon slightly above as well, but placing your coop somewhere around
your house is also going to be highly beneficial for maintenance purposes. Since your
coop is going to require cleaning on a fairly steady basis, when you locate it close to
your actual house this becomes quite easier on you since it’s less going all the way out
to the coop and back throughout the process.
Mobile coops are great for this since you just move them to wherever you are going to
clean it and it saves a great deal of time on your part.
The one thing you may want to consider if you are building it quite close to your house
is using a wooden fence around the coop for the run rather than the chicken wire one.
This just tends to make everything look a little neater since it is going to be within easy
viewing distance.
The choice is totally up to you on this one but that is one thing that many people do find
they prefer when locating it closer to their house.
As an added benefit, if it is close to the house and you get a lot of rain or cloudy
weather, this also makes it easier to run in electrical light to keep the house lit during
the darker days. It can get quite challenging to do this when the coop is located
hundreds of meters from an electrical outlet, which is why you really do want to
consider location carefully.
Soil Type
Finally, the last thing you need to keep in the back of your mind when you’re trying to
choose a location to keep the chicken coop is the type of soil around the land area
you’re thinking about.
Ideally you want to have a firm soil that can withstand some wind and water. If you’re
building on lose soil, you may find that over time the coop begins to shift and settle
more, which can eventually cause a loosening of the walls calling for repairs to be made.
If you have very firm topsoil though, the chances of this are considerably less, therefore
you can be more confident that the coop will stay standing for years to come.
Some individuals will also choose to build on gravel rather than grass, which is
completely fine as well, but then you will want to consider placing some type of base on
the coop to prevent them from picking at the gravel and creating a mess.
Other people will choose to actually elevate the entire coop as well, which can work
even if it isn’t on wheels and mobile since then you would just use very firm and sturdy
posts placed onto the ground. This will remove the issue of soil altogether and will also
help put you in a better position in terms of rain water collecting around the coop as
well.
Finally, if you do choose to go the route of creating a hill to place the chicken coop on
yourself, you will be able to choose the soil and ensure that it is firmly packed into the
ground. This is a great way to know that you are building on the right area and can
monitor how the ground is laid out.
If you don’t have any place in your yard that you think would be ideal for building on,
then you are going to have to do some landscaping. Many farmers make the mistake of
thinking they will just ‘chance it’ and hope that it works out to build on the land they
have in mind, but doing so will likely mean you wind up with a chicken coop that doesn’t
last all that long.
You don’t have to hire someone to do the landscaping if you’re trying to keep costs
down, but be sure you are doing it yourself. With some time and energy you can easily
complete this process and be sure you’re building on land that will be appropriate.
So there you have some of the main things that must be considered when choosing the
location for your chicken coop. Unfortunately location is one thing that you may not be
able to control to that great of an extent due to the fact that you have to work with
what you have (moving is likely not an option with this one).
If you’re smart with your planning though and are willing to put in that work to make
sure there is some landscaping being done, you shouldn’t see any issues with making
this work for you rather than against you.
It’s only farmers who choose a random place on their yard without considering anything
except ‘that’s where they want it’ that run into big problems. With some background
preparation you can easily get away from almost all of the problems caused by location.
Next we’re going to take a much closer look at some of the most common predators
that may start to attack your chicken coop and exactly what you can do in effort to
combat them.
Protecting Your Chicken Coop
Regardless of what area of the country you live in, there is almost always a chance that
you could get hit by one of the many predators that hunt chickens. Most people
overlook some of the predators as they haven’t seen them around their home, but it’s
critical you don’t make this mistake.
The moment you overlook one of these, that’s when you really increase your chances
that that exact predator will strike against your chickens because you have not done
anything to protect them.
Usually it doesn’t take a great deal of work on your part to understand the usual
suspects and take steps to ensure they stay away from your coop. If you value your
chickens, this is an absolute must!
Below we will go over the most common types of predators that hunt after your
chickens and their characteristics. Take some time to really familiarize yourself with this
list so you can always have it in your memory for future reference.
The Racoon
Racoons are one of the best known predators that are easily recognized by most people.
They are also very intelligent animals and easy to adapt to a given set of circumstances,
making it slightly more difficult to protect your coop against them.
The average racoon is about 32 inches long with the tail and can weigh anywhere from
10 to 18 pounds, making them quite large animals themselves. In some places they can
actually get up to 35 pounds, but this is quite rare to see and something you typically
don’t have to worry about all that much. They have fur that is relatively long and has an
overall grizzled grey to blackish brown color to it. The most notable features that many
people recognize with the racoon are the black ringed tail or the black eye circles that
cover the eyes giving it a ‘bandit’ type of look.
Racoons seem to be most popular in North and South America, however they can also
live in Canada or Europe and Asia a well. The main places they will try and avoid are
those that have harsh winter climates, as they do not prefer this type of weather. You
also won’t find them in mountainous either, so those areas won’t have to worry about
this predator attacking your coop.
The primary method that the racoon will use to kill will be by attacking the birds by
biting their head or upper necks. Typically the head will be left somewhere away from
the body while the neck and insides are consumed by the racoon. In some cases the
racoon will kill the chickens right in the coop, but more often they will drag the birds
away from the coop and may consume them there. In some cases they can wipe out an
entire flock in one night, so they are definitely something to watch out for if you live in
areas they commonly occupy.
Red Foxes
The next type of predatory animal that you have to watch out for is the red fox. These
are quick animals and tend to be very skilled hunters, thus they can be tricky to deal
with. They will also feed on a wide variety of foods as well, including mice and rabbits.
They are around throughout the entire duration of the year, however do go much more
dormant during the winter months.
Red foxes will be found mostly in areas that are interspersed with croplands, old fields,
woodlots, or anywhere else that is not covered by dense forests.
The appearance of a red fox resembles that of a bushy-tailed dog and usually has a
rusty-red type of coloration with black feet and legs. The underbelly is commonly white
along with the very end of the tail. They are typically anywhere between 35 and 45
inches long and weigh between 10 and 15 pounds total.
You’ll find red foxes mostly in North America, especially throughout the Carolina
Mountains and Piedmont. Rarely will they be in the eastern coastal plain, so this is one
area that doesn’t have to really worry about them becoming an issue.
The main method of kill with the fox is to begin hunting about 2 hours after sundown as
well as 2 hours before sunup. They often will drag the chickens for quite a distance
before killing them, often miles from the coop. Typically the sign you’ll get that a fox
raid is going on is ruffled feathers and squalling hens as they go about the kill. They also
seem to attack much more during the spring season when they have to start providing
for their litters and often kill more food than they need, burying the additional in
caches. Typically the fox will not even swallow the food, but rather eat it whole.
Red foxes are one of the largest worries for chicken farmers and one you must protect
yourself against. They are one of the most deadliest when they attack and will seriously
harm your entire coop in as little as a few seconds.
Red Tailed Hawk
Moving on, the next predator to know about is the red-tailed hawk. These are birds that
belong to the category known as ‘raptors’, which are known as birds of prey. They also
have strong, hooked beaks and have three toes pointing forward on their feet with one
turned back.
They have incredibly long claws, which are better described as talons and are paired
with razor sharp vision that allows them to see considerably better than humans. This
vision is so sharp that they can even spot spiders or beetles while flying from the air. For
a mouse or other like-sized animal, they could spot it from a height of one mile. As you
can see, a chicken coop would never be able to hide from this bird of prey.
You’ll know it’s a red tailed hawk because of the rufous-coloured tail with dark brown
on their black and top of their wings. The red-tail usually weighs in at between two and
four pounds and the female sex is actually the larger of the two, unlike other animals.
The remaining body color of the bird can vary a great deal from bird to bird, so that’s
not really a defining feature of this animal.
Red-tailed hawks are most commonly located throughout North America, but can also
be found in northern parts of Canada or south in the mountains of Panama. Although
these birds often don’t migrate, they will move to different locations in the season if
they are currently in a very cold climate.
Since this bird has very good eyesight that is what it uses to hunt its prey by sitting in
the tree and watching down below. It will kill the chickens using its claws and then if it’s
too large to swallow whole, the hawk will break the body down with its beak.
The Skunk
The next animal that could potentially cause a problem for your chickens is the skunk.
This animal typically only is a threat to eggs however, not to the actual grown birds.
Skunks are shy animals, which makes it easier to handle on your part. They also have
bad eyesight meaning they are much more likely to strike during the evening hours
when its’ dark outside.
Your best bet for warding off against skunk attacks will be to keep geese, a dog, or even
a cat on the farm as most skunks will leave the chickens alone when these animals are
present. The worst skunks that can harm your coop are the spotted skunk since it can
easily climb to get access to inside of the coop.
Most individuals can recognize a skunk fairly easily by their sleek black coat with two
white stripes down the back of the body with one white stripe up in the forehead. The
skunk also has small eyes and ears, but does have a good hearing ability, despite its lack
of vision.
Skunks are considered to be a member of the weasel family and are about two feet long
including their tail. They can weigh anywhere between 3 and 12 pounds depending on
the sex and time of the year. Males are typically the larger of the two sexes by about
15%.
Skunks are most commonly found in south areas of Canada as well as the United States
and northern parts of Mexico. They will live in a variety of different habits, although
usually prefer open areas or those that borderline a forest.
The main method that the skunk will disrupt your chicken coop is by eating the eggs.
They will occasionally kill the chicken but this is a very rare occurrence, normally it’s just
the eggs they are after. Once they’re in possession of the eggs, they then will open
them at one end and then crush them from there.
Coyote
The next predatory animal that you should be aware of is the coyote. Coyotes are
another type of predator that is mostly active during the night and early morning hours,
making it slightly harder to catch them in action. In areas where humans are not around
and it’s a cooler temperature they may also be active during the daytime as well, but it’s
rarer.
You’ll recognize it’s a coyote since it looks fairly similar to a dog, coming in at between
22 to 25 pounds with males being the larger of the two sexes. They also have large erect
ears and a slender muzzle, along with a bushy tail that sets them apart from many other
dog breeds (although they do resemble a collie dog).
In the hotter regions they are a tan color with grey streaks while in darker environments
they typically are a brownish color and become even darker during the winter moths.
Coyotes also have a very distinctive sound, which can consist of howls or high-pitched
yaps. Very rarely will they bark like a dog, but it does happen every so often.
Coyotes are mostly found throughout North America, however they are also sometimes
found throughout Mexico and the Panama. Usually they are located in the northwest
corner of the US, however as they’ve become more adapted to humans they are
growing in their geographical range. They have also been spotted in Canada now as well
as Florida and New England.
The best way to protect your chicken coop from coyotes is to build a large enough fence
or gate that will keep them out, especially during the evening hours. They aren’t easily
scared off and will approach a passing area if they see one. This is one predator that
makes you really want to be sure you’re building your chicken fence properly, as it’s
really the only way to stop them from attacking your birds.
Mountain Lion
Mountain lions are predators that are present but that you will see much less frequently
as they are simply less populated in most areas. They are the largest type of cat in
North America and often go by a variety of different names including a cougar, panther,
catamount, and puma. They are primarily nocturnal which means that they will be
hunting during the late night and overnight hours like many other predators that may
begin to attack your coop.
Mountain lions will also hunt and feed on deer, foxes, frogs, coyotes, toads, insects,
rodents, opossums, rabbits, racoons, beavers, skunks, and fish, so as you can see the
mountain lion is pretty much at the top of the food chain when it comes to predators.
They are also extremely fast but cannot run for longer distances at a time due to their
reduced lung capacity.
Mountain lions are usually either a gray, reddish, or yellowy color referred to as ‘tawny’.
Usually the tip of the tail will be black and they will grow to reach a length of 4 or 5 feet
not including the 2-3 foot long tail. Males are considerably larger than females coming
in at 130 to 150 pounds while the female weighs in at 65 to 90 pounds.
Mountain lions are most commonly found in North America, but are also located in
British Columbia, Canada as well. Over the years they have begun to move further into
the suburban areas, particularly in the United States, which is causing the most worry
among chicken farmers.
When the mountain lion goes in for its kill it typically bites at the back of the neck, and
then removes the viscera to eat the heart, liver, and lungs.
Fisher Cat
The next variation of cat that has been known to cause chicken coop owners problems is
the fisher cat. This cat is a large, dark, long-haired animal that somewhat resembles
that of a weasel. They can grow to be around 7-12 pounds total in weight and may be
up to 40 inches long in some cases, including a tail that spans 13-15 inches. Females are
typically lighter and only weigh around 4 to 5.5 pounds total. The color of the Fisher
commonly varies from being dark brown to nearly black, and their fur is long and
luxuriant. They have long sharp toes which makes it easy for them to walk on grass,
snow, or climb trees in order to kill the animals they prey upon.
They are found only in North America, most commonly from Virginia to Quebec and
then in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Males disperse themselves more than
females do as they are often found in a span of 30 square miles while females tend to
stay within a 10 mile radius.
This animal will raid a chicken coop and kill a number of chickens at once so they can
also be a serious threat to your chickens if they do get into the coop. The best way to
guard against these animals will be to make sure all the doors and windows are tightly
secured so the fishers will not be able to get access to the chickens.
Mites
Finally the last predator that can cause problems with your chickens is mites. Mites are
usually brought in by birds like starlings, sparrows, crows, swallows, and so on or carried
in by rodents who enter the chicken coop looking for food.
Mites can be somewhat difficult to spot and if you don’t have a clear indication of what
you should be looking for they will often go unnoticed. They usually will live on the skin
of the chickens or in the nesting boxes where they will suck blood from the chicken
while it sleeps. They start out being quite white or yellow in color but will become
darker as they continue on the feeding process.
If your coop is infected with northern fowl mites these will be a bit more aggressive as
they will actually live on the chicken itself and will feed all day long. They are red or
brown coloured and you’ll know they are impacting your chickens as the chickens will
show discoloration of their feathers due to the eggs and waste that the mite is
producing.
The way these insects kill your chicken is by slowly sucking out their blood, which will
then leave them feeling weak, as well as showing a reduction in appetite and lethargy.
If left to go on long enough the chickens will eventually end up dying.
The best way to treat these insects will be to purchase a product that is designed to
destroy the mites such as Sevin dust. This is a carbaryl type of insecticide that will
directly kill the existing mites. Note though that you may have to treat the flock a few
times because as the eggs are laid they can start to re-infest the coop. If you treat the
area a few times you should be able to wipe out the mites over a longer course of time.
Ideally it’s best to just try and prevent the mites from attacking the chicken coop but
this does prove to be quite difficult. Your best bet is to continually scrub the coop every
so often with soap and water in addition to regularly inspecting your chickens to see if
they might be suffering from mites as well.
So there you have the main predators that are going to pose a problem for your
chickens over time. Taking steps to safeguard against these will really be your only way
to keep the chickens safe but even still, it’s important to still be aware they are out
there as chicken attacks do happen. It’s a fact of life that is not completely avoidable
but with a good fence you can certainly do your best at keeping them out.
Now that you’re aware of what you’re protecting against, let’s discuss more thoroughly
the methods of protection you can use.
Building Your Chicken Fence
A proper chicken fence will go a long way towards helping keep your chickens safe so by
investing some time and a little bit of money in this you can definitely improve your
chances of keeping the chickens safe.
The first thing to think about is the type of material you plan to build the chicken house
with. As previously mentioned chicken wire does tend to be the most common material
that people choose to use, however if you do live in an area that does see a lot of
predators, you may want to choose something a little more hardy. Wood fences in that
case should be your best option and will help ensure that the chickens stay safe over
time.
It’s important when constructing your fence that you also leave enough land space
between the chicken house and the fence since this will be what enables your chickens
to have enough space to run out the chicken house comfortably. When it’s too crowded
in the chicken run won’t be all that effective anyway, so you’re virtually defeating the
purpose of having one.
Also, you must be really sure that you’re building the chicken fence deep enough into
the ground. In addition to the larger predators that are out there that were mentioned
above, you may also get the random animal who tries to burrow underneath the fence
to see what’s inside. They may not always harm your chickens but could still cause
damage to the structure of the chicken coop therefore it’s still smart to take action
against these.
By building the chicken fence deeper into the ground you reduce the chances that
they’ll be able to dig deep enough, therefore taking care of this issue.
In addition to building the chicken fence deep enough, you’re also going to need to build
it high enough as well. Individuals who aren’t will see the predators easily jumping or
climbing over top of the fence, which can pose serious problems. Or, in some cases the
lack of height will make the fence easier to knock down for larger predators such as the
mountain lion or coyote, so it won’t really accomplish the original purpose you had set
out for it.
Three to four foot tall fences seem to be a good range to go for, but if you’re really
concerned with the predators, definitely build it larger than this. Especially if you make
the decision to build a wooden fence, you’ll really want to take full advantage of it by
making it slightly taller.
Just note that if you are going to opt for a taller fence, you should build it even further
away from the chicken coop since it could cause additional shading to the coop, making
it harder for the natural light to come through.
You should also only have one door for the fence to get in yourself, as this will be an
easier place for potential predators to try and break in over time. Make sure that when
you build the door you are also using a very secure latch to keep it closed as that will
also influence how easily predators will be able to break it open and get into the chicken
coop.
If you aren’t going to go with a wooden fence and are going to stick with the barb wire
one, it’s also a smart idea to use poles to construct the fence with that the predators
will not be able to climb up. That’s a common complaint that some chicken farmers
have with their barb wire fences so you should take the necessary steps to prevent this
from happening – it’s really quite easy as long as you are looking out for it.
Finally, the last thing you may want to think about with your chicken coop fence is
actually building an entire roof from the fence over the coop. This will be best in those
who are living in high predator environments and will be more worried about the
natural predators than they will about the lack of natural sunlight from a roof.
You could even consider a wire roof, which would still allow for some light but would at
least pose a harder challenge for the flying predators to get through. This is also a
cheaper option typically since there is less work involved for you with the building
process.
So, make sure you put some planning into the fence. Build it deep enough and high
enough to keep out whatever predators are located around your area. Always make
sure you’re monitoring the fence over time as well to make sure it’s staying sturdy and
well constructed. Sometimes wear and tear can also influence how well the fence stays
standing, so have a look at it every 3-4 months to make sure it’s still looking alright.
You may also want to consider keeping a guard dog around as well. Again this will really
depend on the type of predator you have in your area as some predators will harm the
dog (such as the cougar), but others the dog should be able to keep away alright.
As long as you ensure the dog is large enough and a more aggressive breed, it should
help do the trick to keep predators away – just make sure the dog also does not start to
go after your chickens as this would really defeat the point of it. You may also wish to
train this dog initially before bringing it around the chickens just so that it understands
what it’s supposed to be doing. Introduce it to the chickens gradually so that it feels
comfortable enough throughout the process and doesn’t start to turn on the chickens.
Now that we have finished discussing the predator aspect of building the chicken coop,
it’s also important to think about what you should be doing to control the inside of the
chicken coop to help maximize your chickens comfort level.
If you want to have fresh eggs on a daily basis, it will be vital that you’re taking steps to
make sure they are feeling well since if they aren’t, often they will not lay eggs at all
which can prove to be quite the frustrating experience for the chicken farmer. Building
your chicken coop correctly the first time around will help prevent you from having to
do a number of expensive repairs over time in order to try and figure out exactly why
your chickens aren’t laying eggs.
Controlling The Climate Of The Chicken Coop
There are a few different things you can do to help control the climate of your chicken
coop so reading through your options and then choosing the one that best suites your
needs will be your best course of action.
Obviously you will not be able to control the outdoor climate that you experience, but
by taking control of factors you can influence you will put your best foot forward at
making your chickens comfortable.
Here are some of the main things to think about when it comes to controlling the
climate of the chicken coop. For reference, the ideal temperature you will want to
maintain your chicken coop at is between 12-26 degrees Celsius. When you move
outside of these ranges, that’s when you’re much more likely to start experiencing big
problems with the chicken coop.
Cold Weather Considerations
The first aspect of climate that you’re going to deal with is cold weather. When you’re
living in an area that does have definite summer and winter seasons, with the winter
bringing on the cooler temperatures, your chickens may be at risk for ill effects if you’re
not careful.
Keep your chickens at the proper temperature will be essential because they are finicky
and animals and when not comfortable, they will experience major issues with laying
eggs regularly.
Now, there are a few different ways you can go about keeping your chickens
comfortable when the weather takes a plunge.
Insulation
Obviously insulation is going to be one of the best ways to prevent the coldness from
getting to your chickens. The downside with insulation though is that if you also
experience a great deal of heat in the warmer climates, there’s a very good chance that
the insulation will become too much for them.
Therefore you need to weigh pros and cons and figure out how much insulation will be
just enough. If you’re living in an area that is more moderate year round, you can go
with slightly less insulation and make use of other heating techniques so that the
chickens don’t become as overheated during the summer months.
Also, another consideration may be using insulation that you can remove out of the
house if necessary at any point when it does become much warmer in temperature.
Either way, assessing your own unique weather conditions will be the important thing to
determine which insulation is best for you.
Insulation was mentioned briefly above but now we’ll go into a bit more details about
the different types that you can use.
Blankets, Batts, or Rolls
One of the more common varieties of insulation are flexible products that have been
made from mineral fibers, fibreglass, or rock wool. These blankets or rolls are typically
available in a wide variety of sizes so it’s fairly certain that you should be able to find
one that will suit your needs perfectly. These work very well for chicken coops since you
can easily hand cut them and trim them to whatever size you need and work great in
small spaces where things may be a bit more cramped.
Blown-In Loose-Fill
Next you have blown in loose fill insulation which includes cellulose, fibreglass, or rock
wool that are blown into the area you want them to insulin using a pneumatic device or
by professional installers. This form of insulation is most commonly used in unfinished
attic floors but it can also provide an option for those who are building larger chicken
coops and are willing to spend a bit more money on the building process.
Foam Insulation
Foam insulation is another type of insulation that can be used, however often you will
need special equipment to meter, mix, and spray the foam into place. When you
choose to use either polyisocyanurate or polyurethane foam you can also get it in two
forms, either open-cell or closed-cell. The nice thing about open cell foam is that it will
allow water vapour to move throughout the material more easily, thus preventing your
chicken house from becoming too dry.
If you already live in a very wet and humid climate however, then you may want to
avoid using this type of foam as too much moisture will also cause a number of issues,
so give some careful consideration to what will be best for you.
Rigid Insulation
Rigid insulation is made from fibrous materials or plastic foams and is produced in
board-like forms and moulded pipe coverings. This form of insulation will provide full
coverage for your chicken coop and will not allow for much heat loss at all.
If you’re living in cooler climates, that’s when you’ll really want to consider this variation
the most.
Reflective
Finally, the last type of insulation that you may want to start thinking about is reflective
insulation systems that are made with aluminium foils and a variety of different types of
backings. This could include kraft paper, plastic film, polyethylene bubbles, or
cardboard. This is one of the lower common types of insulation that’s used for chicken
coops, but there are a few people who will opt to use it so it was worth mentioning.
The most important thing when considering insulation is to think hard about exactly
what your needs are and then look for insulation to match that. Price will vary between
the types as well as where you choose to purchase it (if you don’t have some already
lying around the house), so look into that as well and ensure that it fits within your
budget.
Electric Heaters
Another thing you can do to help control the inside climate of the chicken coop when
the weather gets cooler is using electric heaters. These are great for those with smaller
sized coops who don’t want to spend a lot of money on insulation or where it gets a bit
trickier to run the insulation inside of the coop properly.
The main consideration with electric heaters will just be the total cost to run them
throughout the winter months. In some cases it can drive up your electricity bill
significantly so you should keep that in mind at all times.
Running the electrical chords out to the chicken coop can also get to be a bit of an
ordeal depending on where you want to locate the chicken coop in your yard, so that’s
another thing you will want to keep in the back of your mind as well.
The electric heater option works really fantastic for those who are placing their chicken
coops really close to their house and aren’t looking for insulation. In most cases running
the chords out to the coop won’t cause any problems so that is the route many people
take.
Heat Lamps
On the flip side of using electrical light, you can also use heat lamps to heat your chicken
coop up as well. Many individuals prefer this over electrical heat so give it some thought
as well.
The sockets that are used for heat lamps are typically ceramic due to the fact that
plastic will burn when it is exposed to that volume of waste heat that is produced by the
lamps. If you are going to choose these you’ll just want to make sure you position them
far enough away from where your chickens will likely be situated since not doing so
could cause them to become too hot and potentially even burn them as well.
By placing them further overhead you will also help to light up the coop to a larger
extent, meaning there will be less for you to worry about when it comes to building
windows and making 100% sure they are going to fully light up your chicken coop.
So there you have the few options for making sure your chicken coop stays warm
enough. It can be helpful to place a thermometer inside the coop to make sure that you
are maintaining a good temperature for the coop for reference purposes. It’s good to
track the temperature on a regular basis to just ensure that it is in fact staying at the
temperature you would like it to and that you aren’t going to need to make some
changes to the insulation.
Dealing With Hot Weather Conditions
After thinking about the cold weather, you should also consider what a very hot
temperature may do to the inside of your chicken coop. When it gets to hot the
chickens will become very lethargic and may not feel up to moving around, eating, or
drinking properly.
All of these things will influence their ability to lay eggs properly, so it’s something that
you should take into account with regards to the climate you’re staying in. For those
with very harsh winters and very hot summers this can make it slightly more difficult –
trying to ‘please’ both types of weather conditions, but it’s not totally impossible if you
plan properly. In some cases when the weather is this extreme it would be a smart
move to consider the mobile chicken coop option since this would allow you to move
the coop closer to a heated space (inside the garage) when it gets incredibly cold
outside, or likewise somewhere that’s more shaded when it becomes too hot.
Having that ability in the more extreme weather types is something you’ll likely really
appreciate so give it some thought.
Air Conditioning
The first main way that you can deal with the warmer climates is to install an air
conditioning system. This will be one of the more pricey options however, so give some
thought as to whether you can afford that or not. Those with larger chicken coops who
are building for the purpose of generating an income will likely be able to handle this
type of thing while those who are just looking to keep two or three birds will likely find
this to be a bit too much.
If you are going to purchase an air conditioning system, be sure you look for one that
has the output to match the climate you’re living in. If you aren’t living in an incredibly
warm climate, using an air conditioner that’s simply too cold will cause just as many
problems as the chickens being too hot, so it’s important to find the perfect
temperature setting for your coop.
Getting an adjustable air conditioner is also a smart move since that will allow you to
change the settings depending on the fluctuating need of the climate you are living in.
Misters or Sprinklers
Another thing you can use to help keep your chicken coop cooler is a mister or sprinkler.
These will work great for those who just need to periodically cool their chicken coop
down and aren’t looking for anything too pricey.
These are also going to work best if you’ve build the coop using wood that is fairly water
resistance because otherwise the moisture from the sprinkler could begin to cause
some problems.
Choosing between a sprinkler and a mister is something that some chicken farmers
struggle with but the thing to keep in mind is that the sprinkler will have a much larger
spraying radius than the mister and will more effectively dampen the area. It can be a
smart move to place the sprinkler further away from the chicken coop total since this
will allow the water to form more of a mist by the time it reaches the chicken coop
rather than the concentrated water droplets as it first occurs out of the sprinkler.
Both of these options will be really cost effective however you just have to be a bit more
mindful about when to turn them on or if you’re getting a programmer with it, when
you should set it to go off for maximum effectiveness.
Ventilation
Next up you have ventilation. Ventilation will not only be important for ensuring that
the chicken coop maintains a good supply of fresh air, but also so that it stays cooler on
hot summer days. When you get a nice breeze flowing through the chicken coop that’s
when you’ll really help your chickens to feel most comfortable so that is the main goal
with this one.
Since your chickens will be excreting droppings throughout the day which are high in
ammonia, if you aren’t getting good ventilation this could actually eventually become
toxic to the chickens - something that will obviously have a very negative influence on
them. Chickens also tend to get very anxious when in enclosed spaces without enough
ventilation, so that’s another reason why you cannot overlook this point.
Usually windows will be the best source of ventilation for the chicken coop so putting
some careful thought into this factor will be the best way to start. Another thing you
can do is instead of using wood to build the walls of your coop, choose to use mesh wire
instead since this will also allow a good amount of air to circulate throughout. The only
big downside to this is that if you’re not placing a very good chicken fence up (wood
would be the best option in this case), your chickens will be at a much higher risk for
predators.
Obviously if the predators are easily able to see right into the coop, this is like an open
invitation for them to attack the chickens.
Additionally, another problem with the mesh wire for the coop is that if you do live in an
area that is anything but warm, it can be virtually impossible to keep the coop at a warm
enough temperature for the chickens to feel comfortable.
You can, however, build part of the coop with the wire mesh provided you still have
some solid wood walls in place that will keep them protected. This is usually the
method in which windows are incorporated into the coop, so it’s what you should be
considering with that.
Now, when it comes to the exact location of the windows for ventilation, you have to
keep in mind that warm air will rise, so if you place the window closer to the top of the
chicken coop this will allow the air to escape better, keeping the bottom of the coop
fresh where the chickens are located.
Also as we discussed earlier, placing the windows near the top also gives you the
advantage of having the light shine through overhead, making it that much easier to
keep the coop light throughout the day. There is definitely no question about it – if you
want your chicken coop to be successful, this is where you should be placing the
windows.
One other thing to note with the window issue is that you may want to think about
installing windows that allow you to open them only partway to allow for ventilation.
This is good for those who live in cooler climates and want to maintain some of the heat
in the coop. If you only have the option of leaving the window closed or opening it the
entire way, you’re really stuck between a rock and a hard place on some days. Partially
opening windows solve this problem completely as they allow you to decide how much
fresh air flow you’re letting into the coop.
Other individuals who don’t want opening windows due to predator reasons may
to just insert tiny air vents in certain areas of the wall. This can also be effective in some
cases, but it will depend on your particular climate and how much fresh air you need to
be circulating on a regular basis.
If you aren’t getting enough fresh air that will be a problem on many levels, so it’s not
something you can really be chancy about. Your best bet is to use as much ventilation as
you possibly can so that you’ll have no issues with this factor.
Positioning
Finally, the last thing to think about when it comes to your chicken house and how you
want to make sure it’s maintaining the best temperature possible is to choose your
location properly.
We already addressed above some of the main concerns with location from a structural
standpoint, but it’s also vital to think about this from a climate perspective as well.
If you want your chicken coop to maintain a good temperature, it’s helpful to place it
somewhere that’s relatively sheltered, but not so sheltered that it gets no sun at all.
Natural sunlight is important to the chicken’s overall health, since just as you need some
sunlight each day to prevent yourself from becoming depressed, your chickens also
need some natural sunlight to keep themselves in a good mood and laying eggs.
Darkness or artificial light will wear on the chickens after a certain period of time, so
being sure they are not completely blocked from the sun in their location is critical.
Another thing you will want to think about when deciding exactly how you want to build
your chicken coop is what direction the wind most typically blows. This will be important
for helping to make sure that you are getting that fresh ventilation that was discussed
above, as if there is no breeze whatsoever the flow of fresh air will be much lower
towards the chicken coop.
Most climates do tend to have a predominant wind direction, so building the coop so
that the primary windows (or air vents) are facing this direction will help you out in this
regard.
Finally, placing the coop on an elevated area of land mass, as we discussed earlier with
regards to precipitation and water build-up in the chicken coop, will also help you out.
Since the elevated areas of your yard will have a better chance of experiencing the fresh
air gusts as they come through, this will also put you in a better position to maintain the
freshness of their air inside the chicken coop.
So, those are the main things that you need to address when it comes to maintaining
the temperature in your chicken coop. It can be challenging at times trying to figure out
exactly what you should be doing in terms of too hot or too cool, especially when it
seems like the weather fluctuates like night and day in the particular area you live in.
Provided you’re keeping both the hot and cold weather considerations in mind however
and taking steps to deal with them appropriately, you shouldn’t see too many issues
whatsoever with this and the long term goal of keeping your chickens as healthy as
possible.
Next up we’re going to look at some of the main issues that should be taken into
consideration when trying to finish your coop properly including nesting boxes, feeders,
waterers, perches, and the ground cover. After you’ve built your chicken coop it’s still
important to keep these important points in mind since they will also play an important
influence on how comfortable the chickens are and how many fresh eggs you get on a
daily basis.
Finishing Your Coop
So now you have a pretty good idea what’s all involved with the actual building of your
chicken coop. You likely have a lot of different things running through your mind – how
big should you build it, how will you place the windows, where in your yard will be best
to locate it, and so on. Give yourself a few days to mull over this so you can become
clear in your mind exactly what it is you want with this chicken coop.
Once you have the image in your mind, then you’re ready to start thinking about the
finishing touches. These will be more unique to each individual and the particular
methods you’re choosing to build your chicken coop, but we’ll give you a good basic
idea of exactly what you should be thinking about in terms of each. Then you can assess
your coop plans and create the best fit for what you’re looking for.
Nesting Boxes
Nesting boxes are what are used for your chickens to actually lay their eggs in and when
built properly, will yield really fantastic results. It’s important that you get these boxes
right since it’s what will deliver the end product to you – fresh eggs. Some chicken
farmers will build the chicken coop correctly, but then screw up when it comes to the
nesting box. This is really unfortunate to see since after all that invested time and
money in the nesting box, they’re then left with a less than optimal production rate.
In some cases, this then causes them to start looking to internal factors within the house
for the problem, really screwing things up. Instead of looking inside the house, they
should be looking towards the nesting box.
Now, what can cause a low egg production with nesting boxes? In most cases, it seems
as though the birds are actually comfortable in smaller sized nesting boxes, which
significantly goes against what most people would think. In addition to their own
preference, using a smaller size nesting box will also prevent the chickens from actually
kicking their fresh eggs onto the floor, ruining them entirely.
So right off the bat, think small. While you want to make sure there is enough total
space when it comes to the chicken coop itself, nesting boxes are a whole other story.
Here are some of the things that you need to keep in mind with regards to your
chicken’s nesting box.
Total Chicken Limit
First, you ideally want to keep the nesting box to just around 2-4 hens per box. If you
start to overcrowd the nesting box you will have problems as well, so be sure you’re
planning carefully. You’re far better off using smaller but more nesting boxes than
making one or two larger nesting box and placing more chickens in it. As stated above,
the smaller size seems to actually work better when it comes to this regard.
If you’re finding that your chickens are starting to all try and crowd together in one
nesting box, then you may want to consider separating the nesting boxes in the space
you have since that can help them spread out more and stay within their own area.
Physical Size of the Nesting Box
Next you have the physical size of the nesting box. Ideally they need to be tall enough
that your hen can stand comfortable in them, without feeling as though they will hit
their head. In most cases about 12 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches works well,
however if you have very large chickens you can go bigger. Also, obviously if you are
using used boxes of sorts to help save on costs, don’t stress too much if the size is
slightly off from that since you won’t really have a choice in the matter – unless you go
out and buy new materials to get closer to that size instead.
Nesting Box Material
Moving on, choosing the best nesting box material will likely be the next thing that you
should give some strong consideration to. Many people find good success using wood
shavings (pine is a common choice), or straw. Personally I would recommend the wind
shavings a bit more than the straw just since these will typically hold up longer and
you’ll see better results from them.
Step In Front
Next, also consider adding a step in the front of the nesting box so your chicken can
easily step up to gain access inside. This makes the chickens feel more comfortable and
should promote more regular egg laying over time.
Be sure you’re also adding a bit of a lip off the box as well since this will prevent the
straw or shavings as well as eggs from falling out of the nesting box.
The Roof Of The Nesting Box
One of the most important things you need to make sure you’re doing correctly is
getting the roof of the nesting box set up to encourage proper laying. When you build a
flat roof on top of your nesting box, some chickens may actually start laying eggs on top,
which obviously is going to create a problem.
More commonly though with the flat roofs you’ll see the chickens sleeping on top of
their nesting box, creating a bit mess in the process. To help prevent this be sure you’re
building the roof on a slope since this will really discourage them from doing so.
You don’t have to build the slope incredibly sleep – a 45 degree angle or so would work
just perfectly to keep them sleeping in their chicken coop and laying eggs in their
nesting box.
The Height Of The Nesting Box
Finally, the last thing you will likely want to consider with your nesting box is how high
off the ground you are going to build it. Some people do like to raise them up slightly to
keep them cleaner and promote the chickens from only going inside when they do have
to lay eggs.
Just be sure when raising them up off the ground that you don’t raise them so high that
the chickens struggle to get inside otherwise you will experience problems. They must
feel comfortable with easy access or they will avoid them altogether. Training them to
use the nesting box as soon as you build your chicken coop by placing them at the right
height will encourage the proper behaviour you’re looking for.
So those are some of the main points to keep in mind with regards to nesting boxes.
They are an integral part of your chicken coop so it will be important that you’re
incorporating them correctly so you don’t experience any problems with the chickens
laying eggs. If you are finding that your chickens aren’t laying eggs regularly and
everything with regards to the actual chicken coop is built well, then the next place to
have a good hard look at will be the nesting boxes to make sure there is no problem
there.
Feeders
Also of equal importance will be the feeders you place inside your coop. Maintaining
good nutritional status with your chickens will help them grow properly and lay eggs
that are going to be of highest quality. Some farmers run into issues that even though
their chickens are laying eggs properly, they are not producing quality eggs that are
actually good to eat. You could imagine just how frustrating this would become.
By making sure you’re building the feeders correctly you can ensure that your chickens
are getting the nutrition they need without having to worry about this being an issue.
Chickens can be fed small amounts throughout the entire day or the feeder can just be
left out into the open so the chickens can help themselves when they feel a need at any
point in time.
The feeder itself doesn’t need to be very fancy at all, so you can purchase the supplies
for it at any store or you may even have what you need around the house already.
Here are the steps you should take to build a good feeder.
First, you need to find a food grade pail that has a handle. Usually a 5 gallon pail will
work best for adult chickens or you can use a 1 gallon pail if you’re just holding chickens
at this point in the house. You just have to make sure that it’s clean before you start
and it’s one that you can easily clean as time goes on as well.
Next, turn the pail over and cut off the bottom of it with a sharp blade, while still leaving
about one inch around the outside of the pail to give it a rim. This will help prevent the
feeder from tipping over once you have added the food inside of it.
After doing that, your next step is to insert a piece of plywood that’s about one inch
wide and equal in diameter to the pail so it’ll reach either side of the pail. Lay this piece
of wood to rest on the one inch rim created when you removed the top portion of the
pail.
Next, drill ¼ inch holes in the wood and rim about ½ an inch from the edge. From there,
attach the wood to the pails rim with a long bolt and fasten it with a nut on the inside of
the pail.
After doing that, drill a ¼ inch hole in the middle of the wood crossbar you’ve now built
and another hole through the middle of a shallow metal pan that is 4 inches or more
wider in diameter than the pail. You should then bow the center of this pan upward
slightly so that the feed will have a path to follow towards the edges.
Then attach the feed pan to the pail with a 4 inch bolt through the plywood crossbar in
the middle of the pan, making sure it’s facing the downwards direction. Place a bolt
through the top of the crossbar and then into the pail so you can attach it solidly with a
nut. Also attach the pan and stabilizing disk with a washer and nut as well.
Next, turn the feed upright and place the feed inside to see what the flow looks like
throughout the feeder. If it’s not moving very fast – or at all, loosen the bottom nut
below the stabilizing disk so there is more room between the pail and the pan.
Finally, finish off by hanging the feeder by the pail’s handle so that it’s at the perfect
level for your chickens. They shouldn’t have to reach too far up to get at their food but
at the same time it must not be too low either. You don’t want them to attempt to
stand in the feeder, so that’s the biggest thing that you must be aware of with this.
So there you have the steps for building a feeder. Many people try and make it a great
deal more complicated than it has to be so by following the basic steps you should see a
great deal better results and probably spend way less time on it as well.
Waterer
Next we come to building the waterer for your chicken coop. This is equally as
important as their feeder and you should be changing the water regularly to ensure it
stays fresh for your chickens so they remain as healthy as possible. It is also important
that they always have access to this waterer so be sure you place it somewhere inside
your chicken coop that’s more central giving them this access wherever they are. Some
people will choose to place both the waterer and feeder outside of the coop but if you
are going to do this it’s absolutely vital that you’re building a very good chicken fence to
protect the chickens.
The last thing you need is a predator coming in and swiping out your entire flock as they
are outside just trying to get a bite to eat.
You can use a variety of different containers for the purpose of building a waterer, so if
you plan properly this should be a very cheap element to create. Such choices can be
buckets, pails, troughs, or any other container that isn’t difficult to clean at all.
After you’ve found the pail or bucket you’re going to use, you also need to find a 20 inch
or so plastic planter base, which can be picked up for normally less than $5. Drill a
couple 1 inch holes around the base of the bucket and then bolt the planter base to the
bucket. This should allow for a nice flow of water out from the bucket into the planter
base so your chickens can get at the water without any problems.
So, take the time right after you build the chicken coop to build a good waterer and
feeder. This will help maintain good health of your chickens and make it easier for you
to maintain the coop as time goes on.
Perches
Next we come to perches. Perches are where the chickens should be sleeping so you
want to make sure they are easily accessible by the chickens and that you encourage
them to sleep on them by placing them in a central location in the chicken coop as well.
Be sure you make the wide enough so that the chickens can easily fit on them without
any issues and that they are completely level so the chicken is comfortable. Also make
sure that you’re making the perch long enough to accommodate all of the birds,
preferably so each bird has at least one foot total of space.
Ground Cover
Last we come to the ground cover of your chicken coop. Many people prefer a cement
ground with straw since this is extremely easy to clean and will require very little total
maintenance. This will obviously necessitate that you’re building the base on a cement
floor however, which is not always possible depending on your own choice of location
for the chicken coop.
Others will choose to build the base out of wood as well, which is definitely fine just be
sure that it’s made out of wood that will again be quite water resist to prevent rotting
from taking place.
Ideally you want to build the wood base slightly thicker than the walls to help add
insulation from the ground up. If you’re living in an area that does get quite a bit of rain
at cooler temperatures, this will be very critical to prevent the base from freezing at all
when it gets wet and making the coop incredibly cold for your chickens.
There you have all the main things that you must know if you are to run a successful
chicken coop. Making sure the inside is a comfortable place for your chickens to live will
encourage regular egg laying and help prevent you from having to spend time repairing
or fixing aspects of the chicken coop that were not done properly.
When you plan the size of the chicken coop originally make sure you’re doing your best
to include enough space for these elements in addition to the chickens. Some chicken
farmers make the mistake of planning the chicken coop to be just large enough to hold
their chickens without allowing for room for the feeders, waterers, and perches. Once
they get all those things in the chicken coop, they’re disappointed to find out that it
doesn’t leave quite as much room as they were hoping for.
If you can draw out a quick building plan of the coop with all the inside elements in
place this will help solve this issue and also give you a nice blueprint to work from.
Having that clear idea in your mind of exactly how you want your chicken house to look
will go a long way towards you building a chicken coop that looks just like that image.
Don’t make the mistake of not taking the time to do this as it’s very much a guarantee of
your results.
Next up we’re going to wrap up this book with some information on chicken coop
maintenance so that now that you’ve built this great coop, you can take good care of it
so that it lasts over the long term.
Cleaning it regularly will be important not only from a structural integrity point of view
but also because it will make the chickens more comfortable and help the spread of
disease within the chicken coop.
Cleaning and Maintaining the Chicken Coop
Different chicken farmers are going to have different preferences when it comes to
cleaning and maintaining their chicken coop and over time you will likely learn as well
what works best for you and what you feel most comfortable doing.
You’ll also likely find that certain cleaning techniques seem to be a lot quicker than
others and that’s more than likely what you’ll lean to since it’ll be less work output on
your part.
The one thing to always keep in mind though is that regular cleaning is essential since
this will have a very large influence on how healthy your chickens feel while living in the
chicken coop. When they are feeling very cramped in and it’s not clean, you will run
into serious problems. Not to mention it’ll be pretty unpleasant for you to be around as
well.
First let’s go over some general instructions on what you should be doing in order to
maintain a clean chicken coop over time.
Before getting started, the first thing you want to do is remove all the bedding materials
from the chicken coop and the perches. This process should be done on a monthly basis
because as time progresses on there will be dirt and dust that settles inside the bedding
and making sure this is shaken out will provide you with the best chances of maintaining
chicken health.
As you do this, also make sure you’re removing all the feeders and waterers from inside
the chicken coop so you can get it fully cleaned. After everything is removed, then your
next step is to sweep out any of the left over debris from the chicken coop so the floor is
completely clean. At this time, if you have a cement base you should clean it to remove
any bacteria or germs present. Typically the best mixture to use will be one part bleach,
plus one part dish washing soap, plus 10 parts water. This will be able to kill all the
germs and get it as clean as possible.
After the floor is completely clean, then you’ll also want to run a mop over the walls,
roosting bars, nesting boxes, and so on to make sure you’ve killed all the germs present
and no debris is left over.
Finally, once you’re done with that then you want to take a pail of just plain water and
do a once over to remove any residue from the soap and bleach and make it safe for
your chickens to live in once again.
If you come across poultry manure, it should be saved and set aside for later use (we’ll
discuss this shortly).
The next step after that will be to start cleaning the feeder and waterer. Empty them
out entirely and then while outside the chicken cop, clean them as well with the original
cleaning solution (you may want to prepare a fresh batch depending on how dirty the
chicken coop was). After cleaned, rinse them again with water and then allow to dry
before refilling once again.
For the feeders you may want to get a smaller cleaning brush so you can really get inside
the cracks better. These can be incredibly tricky to get at so be sure you’re finding
something to use that’s the appropriate size based on your specific feeder. Some people
actually find a toilet cleaning wand works well, so that might be something to consider.
If you aren’t going to use the cleaner solution that was described above, another option
is to use a citrus scented one that’s readily available at almost all grocery stores. This
will still clean the germs and accomplish the task in the exact same manner.
Now, it should also be noted that while you’re doing the cleaning process it will be very
important that you’re wearing clothing that is well suited to this type of work, especially
when handling the bleach. Don’t forget your footwear either as it’s very probably that
your feet will become wet at some point during the process.
You should also purchase waterproof gloves to use and wear them the entire time,
especially when coming into contact with the bedding, feces, or any other materials that
is removed from the chicken coop. Finally, if you have electrical light wired into the
chicken coop, then you will need to also be very careful when cleaning around the
chords with the water to keep yourself safe.
So that’s the basic run-down on the cleaning process of the chicken coop. For most
medium sized coops it takes about two or so hours, so it’s not an incredibly intense
process, but it is something that you need to make an effort to do regularly. Those who
have larger sized chicken coops will need to dedicate a bit more time to the process and
may need to do it more often due to the fact there will be more chickens present
producing more waste and mess.
As long as you’re monitoring the condition of the chicken coop you should have no
problem keeping up with it and making sure it’s staying clean enough to maintain good
chicken health.
Another smart idea that some people will do as well is to place small litter collection
boxes underneath the perches. This can then easily be cleaned throughout the week
and you may find you have to spend less time throughout the week cleaning up after
your chickens. Again this will vary depending on the set-up of the chicken coop but it’s
definitely something to consider and keep in the back of your mind.
Uses For Poo From Your Chickens
As mentioned above, if you do come across some chicken waste while you are cleaning,
you should save it as it can be put to great use in your garden. Poultry manure fertilizers
are now sold commercially so take advantage of the fact that you can virtually get it for
free from your own chickens.
What you want to keep in mind if you are going to use it in your garden is that you
should never just place it directly on your flowers or vegetables since it will be too
strong and will kill the plants. Instead you must compost it first so that it can be used as
a soil amendment to help increase the water holding capacity of the soil or as a fertilizer
since it contains a high amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
After you have finished with the composting process then you can add it directly to your
vegetable garden or flower bed by spreading it onto the surface directly or by working it
into the existing soil that’s already in place.
So, don’t throw this out too quickly. If you have a good vegetable garden it can really
benefit from the chicken poo so take the time to go through the composting experience.
You will be happy you did and you’ll find that your fresh produce (if you are growing it)
is much tastier to eat because of the good mineral content of the compost.
Signs Of Chicken Health
Finally, it’s important to end off with a section that describes exactly what you need to
be looking for to ensure your chickens are healthy. Recognizing disease early on in the
process will help prevent it from spreading throughout the chicken coop, really causing
problems for you down the road.
If you do notice that one of your chickens is starting to show signs of ill health, take
steps immediately to either remove that chicken from the coop, or fix the problem if it’s
related to something with regards to the chicken coop itself.
Here is what you should look for.
*Comb – you want the comb on the chicken to be the correct size and color. Watch for
any changes that take place from what it looked like before.
*Eyes – the eyes of your chicken should be bright and clear to demonstrate good health.
*Gait – the gait of the chicken coop should be alert and upright, so be sure you’re
watching for this as it moves around the chicken coop.
*Feathers – the feathers of your chicken are meant to be smooth, shiny, and in proper
place. If they start losing their feathers, this is a clear indication that something is
wrong.
*Tail – the tail of your chicken should be carried properly, not hanging low.
*Breathing – the breathing needs to be fluid and deep, if it’s rattling or there is a
discharge around their mouth pay close attention to that chicken as its health is likely in
jeopardy.
*Droppings – The droppings from the chicken, as much as you probably don’t want to
be checking for that, but they need to be firm and dark. Often they will also contain a
white tip, so that’s something else you may want to for.
*Bodyweight – the weight of your chickens should be within the healthy range; not too
heavy or too light. If they aren’t the correct weight, this will influence the quality of the
eggs you get.
*Smell – The smell of the chickens should be warm and pleasant, provided you have
been keeping up with the cleaning of the chicken coop as well.
*Noises – When the chickens are inside the chicken coop they should appear fairly calm
and content, but never completely silent. If they are silent this can indicate illness or
disease, so monitor that carefully.
It will be normal for your chickens to vary in their behaviour and appearance as they
grow older and time goes by, but it’s when anything out of the ordinary starts appearing
that you really see problems taking place and action needs to be taken.
If you spend a few minutes every few weeks doing a physical check of them you should
be able to stay on top of their health fairly easy. To do this, simply pick them up and
check them over, looking at their features, skin condition, mites, any lice that may be
present, cuts, pecking wounds, scrapes, or missing feathers.
You should also monitor the vents for any evidence of critters coming in because that
can influence the health of the chickens very quickly. Most free roaming chickens will
have the odd encounter with other birds or get mites or lice at some point, but if
treated quickly they should be able to survive this without any problems.
Conclusion
So, that concludes this guide to building a chicken coop. Properly planning really is one
of the key things to keep in mind when it comes to having success with your chicken
coop. Hopefully you have taken the time to read through all this information first
before starting the building process because that will help you get started exactly on the
right track and you won’t have to backtrack and start making some changes.
If it’s your first time building a chicken coop you may want to speak with your
neighbours if they have one as well what techniques they found worked best for them
but even still, be sure you’re keeping your chicken coop in the context of your own
needs. Each individual will have a different type of landscape to build the chicken coop
on and will want to raise chickens for their own individual reasons.
By making sure that you’re building the chicken coop in accordance with your own
needs and not just exactly like that of your neighbours you will help ensure that you are
fully satisfied with the coop after the building process takes place.
Note that if you do want to make some changes to the chicken coop down the road, it
should be fairly easily done provided you are making a good effort to build it as
uniformly as possible, so that you can easily remove certain walls if need be.
As long as you’re not making it overly complicated to start with during the building
process, making changes down the road is quick and easy – such as building extra area if
you make the decision to start adding more chickens to your current flock.
Most of all take the time to enjoy the process and don’t rush the process. The best
results will be had when you’re being careful to complete all the steps carefully, and in
order. Since you want this chicken coop to last for years to come, taking a few extra
days to build it will be well worth the time and effort and save you much frustration as
time passes down the road.

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Let’s look closely at the issues to keep in mind.

Nothing is more frustrating to a chicken farmer than waking up to discover your

Benefits To A Small Sized Chicken Coop

The Medium Sized Chicken Coop

The Large Sized Coop

When it comes to actual size guidelines, a good guideline to use is a minimum of 4

Here is what to consider.

Location Of The Chicken Coop

Type Of Climate You Live In

Desired Level of Maintenance

Size Of The Chicken Coop

Creating The Chicken Fence

Predators and Protection

Proximity To Your House

Red Tailed Hawk

Cold Weather Considerations

Total Chicken Limit

Physical Size of the Nesting Box

Nesting Box Material

The Roof Of The Nesting Box

Uses For Poo From Your Chickens

Here is what you should look for.

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