There are some things that you must know about chicken coops & hen houses before you select to build or purchase one. These things will help to offer your chickens adequate elements to ensure they live long and healthy lives.
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The first and perhaps most important is the size of your chicken coop.
Your chicken coop must be the appropriate size for the number of chickens that will be occupying the space. You don’t want to have a 20 square foot coop with 20 chickens living in it, this just wouldn’t be right nor would it be healthy for them.
If your chickens do not have enough room, or they are all crammed up into one chicken coop you are drastically reducing their life expectancy. You will also be adding to their stress levels and their overall health will suffer as a result.
The best way to determine the size of the chicken coop that will be appropriate will largely center around how many chickens you wish to keep and if you have suitable space to keep them. Generally 4 square feet of floor space is required for each chicken. So if you have 10 chickens you will need a 40 square foot coop. This will ensure that your chickens are healthy and happy.
The size of the chicken coop is only the first thing of many to consider.
It’s very important that the coop has good ventilation.
Believe it or not chickens sweat, and if the coop is not well ventilated it can be hazardous to the health of your chickens. There are some other things that you must be aware of with these vents too. You do not want the rain and cold wind to come in through the vents. An optimal place to keep these harmful elements out of your chicken coop is by putting it where the vents will not face the wind. You should definitely think more about this before your hen house purchase or build.
If you will be looking to harvest eggs from your chickens then this is something that you must pay very close attention to also. Chickens require adequate light to lay eggs. If there is not enough light then you cannot expect productive egg laying. The best rule of thumb for lights is to have one light for every 40 feet. For example if you have a 80 square foot coop you’ll need 2 lights.
Protecting your chickens from predators is also extremely important, and there are many things that you must protect them form. Chickens have many predators, such as raccoons, foxes, skunks and more. One of the best defenses against most of these predators is the placement of your coop, and a secure perimeter around it as well. So you should also keep this in mind when choosing the size of your coop and making a placement decision.
There are a few other things that will help you to select or build the perfect chicken coop for your newfound pets also. Suitable equipment such as perches, and nesting boxes. I cannot stress enough the importance of learning all you can about properly caring for your chickens before you run out and purchase any.
You can find a ton of valuable information on the internet that will help you to gain the knowledge you need to offer your pet chickens a home that will keep them safe and happy. Chickens are amazing pets that have so much to offer you and it’s no wonder so many people have started to once again keep chickens in their backyard as pets. Any chicken owner will tell you that they have so much more to offer you other than just the regular supply of eggs.
