Protecting your Chickens

“Where there is a will, there is a way” holds true when it comes to predators trying to find food.   What type of predators is in your area?  Have you seen coyotes or foxes lurking around?  If you are not familiar with the type of predators in your area, you might want to ask your neighbours and check to see if they have ever encountered a predator.  It is easier to know what type of safety measures you need to take, if you know what type of predators you are dealing with.

Location

It’s important that you also identify the best location to place your coop.   Having the coop within a close distance (eye’s range is even better) will help you keep a closer eye on your chickens and ensure they are safe.  This is where having a mobile chicken coop comes in really handy since you can easily transport it to wherever you are going to be to really keep a watchful eye on them.

Type of Fence

It’s also vital that you factor in the type of fence that would be best to build with your chicken coop. Consider the type of predator you’re looking at and then research the different types of fences that are available to choose the best fit.

As mentioned above, if you’re going to encounter digging animals, it will be most important that you build the house low enough into the ground that it’s difficult for them to burrow underneath it.  I learned this the hard way.  We have a lot of  rock in our area.  For the most part the fence that I build was on solid rock. I figured it would be difficult for a predator to find a place to dig.  I was wrong.   

If you are looking at the possibility of larger predatory animals, then you’re going to need a fence that’s incredibly sturdy in order to keep them out effectively.  This is why having a good guide to follow will help – it’s vital that you pair your needs with the variety of fence.  If you don’t, you may think you’re protecting your chickens, but you really haven’t done much but added a bit of decoration to your chicken coop.

So be sure you’re keeping fencing and protection in mind.  You could build the most perfect chicken coop ever, but if another animal decides to venture in, that perfect chicken coop could be no more. 

Read on!

How To Build A Coop That Will Last

One the challenges of building a chicken coop is building one that will withstand the weather. It is easier to spend money on something that you know will last.

Proper Landscaping

The first step in building a chicken coop is to make sure the area is level and landscaped properly. The cheaper method is to find a area that is already level and does not need to be landscaped. By building on a level lot it will provide a more sturdy foundation.

Spend Money On The Base Structure

This is the area that you will want to invest a little more in. The building plans in the book will show you what types of materials that are going to be best. It will help you make a better informed decision.

Choosing to forgo and opt for cheap building materials here could come back to haunt you in the long run. No matter how structural sound your chicken coop is, if the base is not solid then it will not withstand the wear and tear that it will be exposed to. There are definitely cheap options that you can certainly consider and that will work well, but each one has limitations. Knowing which cost-effective materials will stand the test of time will help.

Make Good Use of Windows

Windows are a critical element within the chicken coop because they are going to allow for enough light so your chickens will continue to lay eggs as they should. If the hens do not receive enough light, then you will see a decrease in egg laying. Making use of windows in the coop not only helps ensure the chickens stay happy over the long haul, but can also reduce your building costs if you’re using proper materials.

It is important that you consider the structural design with the windows though because placing them in the wrong position on the coop could cause the walls to be less sturdy, so again, having a proper plan to guide you is critical.

Choose Your Feeders Wisely

Finally, you should choose your feeder position wisely. When the feeders are at an incorrect height level the chickens will either not be able to reach the food comfortably, or they may start to scatter the food all around the floor.

When that happens they are bound to start picking at the floor and potentially other areas of the house, which could lead to damage over time.

By taking the time to properly plan your chicken coop so that it will last over the years will help you prevent yourself from having to spend additional money down the road fixing up issues that are the product of a poorly designed and built chicken coop. 

More great ideas!

Building a Chicken Coop: 3D Video

This video will give you a  3d tour of one of the plans found in How to Build a Chicken Coop.
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Building a Chicken Coop: Minimizing the cost

The type of building materials you use, is going to make a big impact on how much money you spend on the chicken coop.  Understanding the different types of materials will be vital to making an educated decision.

We’ll go over this in much greater detail in Building A Chicken Coop, but here are a few tips to help you get started.

Sometimes, we get the notion that you need a lot of expensive materials to build a nice and sturdy chicken coop.   This does not have to be the case.  Chicken coops can be made from a variety of different materials including such things as an old shed, scrap lumber, PVC pipes, 50 gallon barrels, or other recycled materials you may have around the house already.   One time I build a fairly large pen for our ducks, with just recycled material.  The only item we purchased was chicken wire.

Most chicken coops are built out of wood but wood can be the priciest.  I would recommend sitting down and weigh out  the pros and cons.   If you are planning to build a permanent chicken coop that you want to last for years to come, then wood might be your best material.   Wood varieties will  vary in price and that will influence your decision, so looking at the different types of wood is also important. 

If you are thinking about just building a smaller coop, you might consider using recycled timber instead. Asking around for scrap pieces of wood can also be one way to locate some materials to use.  You might stop by some jobsites and ask for the scraps.  If you decide to go this route, you will probably have to pull out a few nails and your chicken coop might not match totally.  This will be one of the most cost effective way to build a chicken coop. 

Many times you can save over half the price of the coop just by looking carefully for building materials that will meet your needs effectively.

Before you rush off to purchase building supplies consider what type of building materials you desire to use and your budget.    Being able to find a balance between these two facets, will bring satisfaction once your chicken coop is completed.

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Choosing What Type of Coop You Require

Probably one of the decisions you’re struggling with right now at this point is determining which type of chicken coop you need. There are so many chicken coop plans! to choose from. Making a chicken coop can be a daunting task without guidance. Finding the chicken coop plan that fits your needs is important. If you are going spend the money on building a chicken house, it only makes sense that it needs to match your individual needs. Starting on the right track is important.

There are several key factors that you should take into consideration before deciding what type of coop to build. The following guidelines will lead you down the right path to choosing wisely and being fully satisfied with your new chicken coop once it’s built.

Small, Medium or Large

I would say, one of the most important factors that will need to be looked at is the size of chicken coop you want to build. Probably one of the first questions you need to answer is how many chickens your coop will need to accommodate.

The biggest mistake you can make is trying to cram too many chickens into your coop. Because each chicken requires so much area to feel comfortable and lay eggs properly, you’ll really want to make sure you’re choosing your size wisely.

It’s always better to error on the size of being too big than being too small, plus then you can always add more birds to the chicken coop if you want later on.

Permanent or Moveable

The next question you should ask yourself is whether you want your chicken coop to be moveable or one that is permanent. Portable chicken coops give you the advantage of being able to move it around to wherever you are. You might consider this option if you like to keep chickens as pets. The other benefit is that a moveable chicken coop allows for easier cleaning. You can simply move the chicken coop to wherever you need to clean it.

The benefit of having a permanent chicken coop is that it will be more sturdier. It will be able to withstand the wear and tear of the elements.

Protection

Factor in protection from predators as you make your decision what type of chicken coop to make as well. Ideally you should have a very solid fencing system to keep all varieties of predators out. This will have to be built to match the size of the coop you’re building as well. Not only do you have to be concerned about predators from above but there are others such as raccoons that can dig a small hole and clean out a chicken coop. We use to have several ducks. I never thought of predators digging a hole to get in. One morning, we went to feed to ducks and sadly they had been killed. I found a small hole that some predator had dug and killed them all.

Appearance

Finally, think about the overall appearance of what you want your chicken coop to look like. There are a number of different ways you can build the chicken coop which will impact the overall design of the chicken coop. This will also likely influence the cost of the building process, so it’s something to think about and work within your budget.

There are definitely cheaper methods to build your chicken coop so understanding the different things that will influence the cost is the first step to making a smart decision.

So, be sure you’re factoring these points in as you decide which type of chicken coop you wish to build. Getting the information up front before you start to build will help save you hundreds of dollars over the long run.

For additional information Click Here!