5 Simple Solutions on Building Backyard Chicken Houses
When raising backyard chickens, it is of extreme importance that you own a backyard chicken house because it will provide your chickens with a cozy place to sleep at night and will keep them warm and safe from hazardous weather. Of course, over-priced chicken coops are not of our best interest and so we choose not to invest in pre-made chicken coops. Not only are they unaffordable for most of us chicken keepers but the inconvenience of having to go pick them up from a store, load them onto a truck, then unload them and drag them into our farm is not very appealing. Therefore I have documented this article to guide you on how to build a backyard chicken coop easily and successfully. By following these 5 simple solutions, you will build a backyard chicken coop that will keep your chickens warm, happy, and safe from predators.
Solution #1: Pre-Plan Everything Beforehand.
I’m sure you would like to build a backyard chicken coop with the least amount of hassles as possible. Therefore, it is imperative that you pre-plan everything you do beforehand to avoid any last minute inconveniences. Some of the questions that will need to be answered before you engage in building a chicken coop are: Will you be keeping large standard chickens or bantams in your chicken coop? How many total chickens will be living inside the chicken coop? How many nesting baskets will you keep inside? How many windows and doors will your chicken coop require? Will you be attaching a light fixture inside? Does your chicken coop need insulation to protect from cold weather? As you can see, there are a lot of important questions that you must ask yourself before you build a backyard chicken coop because in the long run, they could come back to haunt you if you didn’t take the time beforehand to get them addressed.
Solution #2: Choose your Building Grounds.
Now that you have answered all your pre-planning questions, the next step is to choose a location that is stable and convenient for you to build a backyard chicken coop on. It is most important that you select a designated area that is ample enough for you to walk around and make any adjustments to the coop without cluttering yourself up due to a lack of space. There may be times in the future where you will need to walk around your chicken coop and touch up the paint or make some fixtures to the windows or doors so leave plenty of space around its perimeter. Also make a point to build a backyard chicken coop in an area that receives direct sunlight to its screened windows yet it is a safe distance away from predator inhabited bushes or weeds.
Solution #3: Diagrahm your Coop Designs on Paper.
When you build a backyard chicken coop, you cannot go at it blindly. Even if you have a thought out chicken coop design in your head, it is not recommended to engage in any type of construction until you have sketched it out on paper. It doesn’t matter if you are not a professional designer or illustrator, just make sure to sketch out every angle of your chicken coop so that you can have some sort of a reference to go by.
I suggest starting out with a simple chicken coop design at first and once you gain the practice and experience, then try to build a backyard chicken coop of greater stature.
Solution #4: Stack up All Needed Materials.
Before you go ahead and build a backyard chicken coop, you should gather up all the materials that you will need so that you won’t have to make any last minute trips to the hardware store while in the middle of your construction. I can assure you that for your first chicken coop building attempt, you will need a good selection of (2 x 4) plywood, a few concrete blocks, a few yards of chicken wire, insulation pallets if you live in cold climates, plus a handful of nails and screws. Don’t forget to bring out your trusty saw and hammer as well. Ofcourse these are just common materials that you will need and only when you complete solutions #1 and #3 will you know for sure all the materials required to build a backyard chicken coop.
Solution #5: Assemble your Chicken Coop.
It is now time to begin your construction. At this point you have pre-planned and answered significant questions prior to designing your coop. You have chosen your building grounds where your coop will receive direct sunlight and provide plenty of perimeter space to maneuver around. You have sketched out your chicken coop designs on a piece of paper for a hardcopy reference. You have gathered up all the materials required for building your coop. Now all there is left is to put your skills to the test and actually assemble your chicken coop. I can assure you that if you followed the above guidelines, you will find the actual building process to be easier than expected.
Here are somethings to keep in mind though: Make sure to build plenty of doors and windows for proper ventilation of the coop. Keep the windows and doors screened to prevent predators from jumping or flying in.
Along the perimeter of your chicken coop’s borders, make sure to bury your chicken wire about a foot deep to prevent predators from digging underneath. Finally, keep your backyard chicken coop properly insulated, especially if you live in cold climate areas.
There you have it folks. 5 simple solutions which will help you build a backyard chicken coop the right way.
Ofcourse, these are only five tips and there is just so much more to learn about raising chickens that cannot fit in this article. To discover a world of chicken raising solutions and hundreds of secrets on how to build a backyard chicken coop visit the website of longtime poultry keeper and farmer, Dale Higgin.
Dale Higgins has been raising chickens and poultry for over 20 years and is an expert in building chicken coops.
