Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Essentials to Build a Chicken Coop

By Dana Goldberg

As we were growing up, we cannot remember a time in our life when we did not own any chickens. We have childhood memories of going out and feeding chickens. Each day, when we go out to feed them, we flash back to feeding them as a child. Sometimes, those childhood memories are something that one is really fond of. Do you have childhood memories like this? Do you remember helping your parents build a chicken coop? Chances are you did not know exactly what is going on. Now, here you are, sitting there wondering how to build a chicken coop. As we write this article, we are going to give you some information that you need in order to build those birds a home.

First of all, before you even get the birds, you need to take the size into consideration. How big do you want you coop to be? Personally, we believe it should be a big one. Many people opt for a smaller one simply so that they can haul it around. If you do not plan on taking you chickens for a ride anywhere, then opt for that bigger one.

For every bird that will be in the coop, you will need to have 4 square feet. In order for the hens to lay more and be stress free, you will need to make it big.

As you are positioning the coop, you need to make sure you place it where the sunlight is the best during the early mornings.

Before you start to build this big house, you will need to figure out where to place it. We highly recommend you paying attention to the morning sunlight and putting it where the sunlight shines bright during the morning hours. There is something about chickens and that morning sun as they absolutely enjoy it.

As for the materials list, you will not need a lot. Yes, you will need some wood for the frame as well as the nesting area. You will also need some wire mesh in order to close them in and don't forget about the nails.

If you are on a tight budget, then you could always use treated pine or hardwood. When it comes to the materials you need, it all depends on what you prefer.

When you have the frame put up, you may need some help when it comes to putting the roof on. At this point, when you have the roof on, it will be time to put that mesh wire up. No matter what you do, even if you have to put a ton of nails and staples through it, we highly recommend you not leaving any gaps between that wiring. If you leave gaps, you will make it easy for those predators to grab one of your birds. There are many predators out there that would love to have some chicken for dinner. In the end, you will find that building a cage is really fun. Now that you know how to build a chicken coop, it is time to get going.

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