Critical chicken coop requirements that you should know before building one !

If you have planned to build a nice chicken coop all by your own, then you must take care that it is strong and secure in order to protect your chickens from all the potential predators as well as they will be healthy and safe in it. But in order to build the best chicken coop for your chickens, you must have the best plan for reference. And in this article. I have covered some of the most important factors that you must consider before building a chicken coop.


Protection from predators
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The design of the coop is the most critical part of your coop building venture. It must be structured in such a manner that no predator can ever think of ripping it through for a free meal. So the wire mesh must be strong enough for those crooked dogs, cats and raccoons to rip it apart. A professionally drafted coop building plan must be always available for your reference or you must consult someone who is expert in this field.

The predators list don't end here. The next one on the list are those pesky rats. So you must not only secure all the sides of the coop but also the flooring. The rat problem can be easily prevented by making a strong fence around the coop, buried about 12 - 14 inches into the ground.  These rats are attracted from the odor of the chicken feed and it's droppings and what is more serious is that they are extremely fond of eggs.

Protection from climatic changes
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Your chicken coop must not only prevent those shrewd and blood thirsty predators but also be able to protect your feathered friends from extreme climatic variations. So your hen house must designed and structured to withstand the extremes of winter, snow or wind and protect your beloved chickens from them.

Providing space and comfort for your chickens
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While building the coop you must also give utmost care for the spacing, so that each chicken has enough room to move around, comfortably perch and also have a safe place to lay her eggs. So your chickens must be given roosting poles for them to sleep comfortably and you must also ensure that each chicken gets at least 8 - 10 inches of space while sitting on it. If you want to maximize the egg laying ability of your chickens you must provide nest boxes. 3 to 4 chickens should be able to share one nest box. So you need to design it accordingly, and it should be little above the floor level. There must be enough privacy for each chicken for laying. so take care that you position the nest box accordingly.

Now regarding the spacing, you must ensure that each chicken gets at least 3 square feet of space. You must ensure that your chickens get a roomy and spacious coop. A spacious and room coop will not only keep your chickens happy and healthy but also increases their egg laying ability.

Now the feeding part. Ensure that your chickens have easy access to fresh feed and water. And it is very important to note that the feeder and water source are kept at a height of 6-8 inches from the ground.  Your coop must also be easily accessible. Easy accessibility can help you clean the coop so that bacteria and bugs do not breed.

If you are planning to buy a chicken coop from the market (even for a pre-built one) you will have to pay through your nose. I am sure you don't want to lose your hard earned money for a chicken coop. So the best and economical way of doing this is to build one on your own, just like i did, and believe me, it;s not that hard with a good book like 'Building a Chicken Coop' by Bill Keene who's a former poultry farmer and author. He has provided sufficient and easy to follow designs and plans which can easily help you build a professional chicken coop in minimum time.