Are you an egg lover? If so, then close your eyes and imagine the aroma of your own fresh, organic eggs frying at sunrise. Or scrambled eggs. Or eggs cooked over easy. Maybe you have made up your mind to raise chicks for this, or other reasons. If you are just beginning to raise hens then you will soon realize that it can be very rewarding to raise your own hens. What you may be surprised to learn is that is it just as rewarding to build your own chicken coop.
It is important to read up on building chicken coops before you begin. You will want to plan a few details. Many beginner chicken coop builders have made errors because they did not accurately think through the procedure of making their coops.
First though, before you get down to building, understand the fact that you are going to make mistakes. This is true whenever you start anything new, not just building houses for chicks. By accepting this upfront, the chances of mistakes will be reduced out of frustration when matters do eventually go wrong.
A bit of preparation is all that is required to avoid the two most oft made mistakes. Most mistakes have to do with the functionality of a coop, though structural errors also happen. Placement of windows and feeders are what novice builders frequently neglect and place wrongly. Recognizing these errors, and why they happen, will prevent you from joining the ranks of those who have made them.
Proper location of windows tends to be the number one mistake made. Chicks need natural light. They crave it. So, it is important to place the windows so the hens will receive direct sun during the day. Regrettably, numerous people tend to forget about this until it is too late. If this occurs, you will want to add other lighting sources to supplement natural lighting during daytime hours to keep your chickens content.
The second most typical mistake when building chicken coops has to do with feeders. Seasoned builders know that feeders should be situated about 10-15 centimeters above ground. Inexperienced builders do not give much thought to feeders, but it is critical to not have a feeder too high or too low.
The reason for this is both functional and necessary to chicken wellbeing. If a feeder is positioned high then smaller chicks will not be able to reach food and they will starve. On the other hand, if the feeder is situated too low, it will result in a huge mess. Make sure you take time to measure the positioning of your feeder so that both you and your hens are satisfied with the results.
Of course, these are only two of the many mistakes that can occur when building chicken houses. Complete your research before you begin, and make sure you ask questions if something doesn't make sense. There are top-notch ebooks on this topic that are worth buying in.
Don't be surprised if you enjoy building your first chicken coop so much that you resolve to tackle another that is bigger and better. Just make sure you follow a plan and listen to the experts so you can easily avoid oft made problems.
Gene Potter has created an informative internet site for chicken enthusiasts who want to learn more about building chicken coops.
Hi Gene, I live in the country and I enjoy the benefits of having fresh eggs from many of my friends, but I don't think I could raise my own chickens :-)
But if I wanted to, this article certainly would help me in building a great coop. Thanks for sharing! Blessings to you! Teresa
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