How to build a chicken coop is a question that gets asked a lot around the internet these days in part, because of the high cost of buying eggs in the grocery store, and partly because people just seem to like having chickens around. I think it’s a reminder of the good old days when life was a lot slower paced.
In this series of posts, we’ll look into this question and present you with some viable solutions to solve you chicken housing situation. Before you can build a chicken coop, you first have to make several very crucial decisions.
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 a variety of different chicken coops that you can build, but understanding which one will to best fit your needs is important for getting optimal results. If you spend the money on a chicken house, it only makes sense that it needs to match your individual needs, so getting started on the right foot is important.
There are some main 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.
Size
Possibly one of the most important factors that will need to be looked at is the size of chicken coop you want to build. There’s small, medium, and large plans for the chicken coops, each of which accommodates a certain number of chickens.
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 err on the size being too big than being too small, plus then you can always add more birds to the chicken coop if you want later on.
Portable Versus Fixed
The next question you should ask yourself is whether you want your chicken coop to be portable or if you preferred one that’s fixed instead. Portable chicken coops give you the advantage of being able to move it around to wherever you are, so if you’re someone who likes to keep the chickens as pets, this makes for a very attractive option. Also, having a mobile chicken coop allows for easier maintenance since you can simply move the chicken coop to wherever you need to clean it.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for something with a little more structural integrity then you’ll likely be better off choosing a fixed chicken house since these will be built sturdier so they are able to withstand more wear and tear, wind and weather.
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.
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.
In the next post in How to Build a Chicken Coop, I’ll discuss some of the ways you can help keep the costs down while selecting your building materials. Until then, stay safe, work hard, and always, thanks for stopping MVB Crafts.
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P.S.
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