Chicken House DIY – Chicken House Requirements And Tips
Going green is not only regarded as environmentally sound, but has become a priority for many victims of the credit crunch that has devastated the world. Being forced to budget just to survive has convinced people to return to nature and eat healthily and more cheaply by growing whatever they need. This has led to back gardens being transformed into smallholdings with a chicken house often taking pride of place. If you are thinking of building your own chicken house, it is so important that it meets the needs of your chickens to enable them to be happy and contented, staying in fine physical shape. Here are some important facts you should take into consideration.
SIZE
Chicken houses can be built, or purchased in a range of sizes, each of which can house a specific number of chickens. The biggest mistake you can make is trying to cram too many birds into your house because each chicken requires so much area to feel comfortable and lay eggs properly. It is always better to err on the large size rather than being too small – you can always add more birds to the house if you want later on.
PORTABLE VERSUS FIXED
Do you want your chicken house to be portable or fixed? Obviously, mobile houses can be located wherever you want and permit easier maintenance since you can simply move them to where you need for cleaning. However, if you’re looking for something with more structural integrity, you’ll be better off choosing a fixed chicken house that is sturdier to withstand wear and tear.
LOCATION
It’s also important that you identify the best spot to place your coop. Location will be partly determined by land formation, but having the coop within a close distance (eye’s range is even better) will help you keep a closer watch on your chickens to ensure they’re safe. This is where a mobile chicken coop comes in really handy since you can easily transport it to wherever you are going to be.
PROTECTION
Protecting your chickens from predators will affect what type of chicken chouse to make as well as, ideally, you should have a very solid fencing system to keep all unwelcome visitors out. If you’ve decided on free-range chicken raising, then to keep costs down choose a corner area. That way you’ve already covered two of the required walls of the free-range site.
Take a long, hard look at what you must do in order to keep your chickens protected. Again, this is a key element to tackle if you want to keep your chickens for the long term because, without protection, there is every chance that a predator will come around at some point or another. You must make sure your chicken house is predator-proof from all sides. Make sure you have the correct size of wire mesh protecting all openings. 15mm square is good, preventing predators from reaching inside the house.
The area surrounding your chicken house also needs protection. You need wire mesh fencing with the base buried at least 30cm below ground level. This will especially help against rats that will easily be drawn towards your chickens’ droppings and it will help prevent foxes and other predators from burrowing into the chickens’ area.
CORRECT STYLE OF FENCE
It’s also vital to choose the right type of fence that would be best to build with your chicken coop. Consider the type of predator you’re likely to encounter then research the different types of fences available to find the best fit.
If you’re going to have problems with digging animals, it will be most important to build the house low enough into the ground so it’s difficult for them to burrow underneath. 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. 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 firmly 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.
By: Jackie Strong
About the Author:
SIZE
Chicken houses can be built, or purchased in a range of sizes, each of which can house a specific number of chickens. The biggest mistake you can make is trying to cram too many birds into your house because each chicken requires so much area to feel comfortable and lay eggs properly. It is always better to err on the large size rather than being too small – you can always add more birds to the house if you want later on.
PORTABLE VERSUS FIXED
Do you want your chicken house to be portable or fixed? Obviously, mobile houses can be located wherever you want and permit easier maintenance since you can simply move them to where you need for cleaning. However, if you’re looking for something with more structural integrity, you’ll be better off choosing a fixed chicken house that is sturdier to withstand wear and tear.
LOCATION
It’s also important that you identify the best spot to place your coop. Location will be partly determined by land formation, but having the coop within a close distance (eye’s range is even better) will help you keep a closer watch on your chickens to ensure they’re safe. This is where a mobile chicken coop comes in really handy since you can easily transport it to wherever you are going to be.
PROTECTION
Protecting your chickens from predators will affect what type of chicken chouse to make as well as, ideally, you should have a very solid fencing system to keep all unwelcome visitors out. If you’ve decided on free-range chicken raising, then to keep costs down choose a corner area. That way you’ve already covered two of the required walls of the free-range site.
Take a long, hard look at what you must do in order to keep your chickens protected. Again, this is a key element to tackle if you want to keep your chickens for the long term because, without protection, there is every chance that a predator will come around at some point or another. You must make sure your chicken house is predator-proof from all sides. Make sure you have the correct size of wire mesh protecting all openings. 15mm square is good, preventing predators from reaching inside the house.
The area surrounding your chicken house also needs protection. You need wire mesh fencing with the base buried at least 30cm below ground level. This will especially help against rats that will easily be drawn towards your chickens’ droppings and it will help prevent foxes and other predators from burrowing into the chickens’ area.
CORRECT STYLE OF FENCE
It’s also vital to choose the right type of fence that would be best to build with your chicken coop. Consider the type of predator you’re likely to encounter then research the different types of fences available to find the best fit.
If you’re going to have problems with digging animals, it will be most important to build the house low enough into the ground so it’s difficult for them to burrow underneath. 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. 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 firmly 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.
By: Jackie Strong
About the Author:
If you are even thinking about How To Erect A Chicken House and are interested in a new up-to-date, step-by-step guide on how to build one, then please visit my site for further information http://www.squidoo.com/HowToErectAChickenHouse
Related posts:
Comments