Chicken Coop Ideas and Tips

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Chicken Coop Ideas

Even if you don’t know much about building a chicken coop, it is now easier to find chicken coop ideas and other information online. You don’t need to be an expert carpenter or builder just to make a coop for your chickens.
Laying hens actually have quite a few basic needs, these are shelter, food, and water. Here are a few helpful chicken coop ideas.

Location is Important

Your choice of location is crucial. The ideal location is somewhere that is out of the wind. Experts say that a south facing window is a good location. For one, hens will need a lot of sunshine especially during the winter, hence, a window or windows are important. It can become too cold during the winter months for the hens to venture outside, and those windows will provide warmth. Adding a small window in the coop door is also a good idea.

Chicken Coop Ideas – Some Basic Requirements

There are a lot of chicken coop ideas on designs and styles that are available. You may opt to get the ready-made ones, or you may build one yourself. The hens simply need to be protected from predators and from the elements. Your chickens will need enough floor space, nesting boxes, and comfortable roosts. They need to be closed up every need, so you have to add some type of a chicken door. Make the coop varmint proof, too.
The general requirement is at least 4 square feet floor space inside, and 10 square feet outside run. This allows the hens to freely move and scratch through litter on the floor. Avoid overcrowding as it also causes spread of illness.

Ensure that a 4-square foot per hen rule is followed. If you have limited space available, experts say that 3 square feet for each bird would suffice, but if you can afford it, 5 square feet per hen is better.

If you don’t have a wooden floor in your coop, you may build one or bury a wire at least 1 foot into the dirt around the outside of the shelter or the chicken coop. This will serve as protection from predators like foxes and coyotes.

Installing overhead lighting will come in handy during the winter months. This helps keep the hens warm, provides extra lighting, and helps in egg production.

Build Chicken Roosts

The coop should have roosts for the hens to perch every night. Without roosts, your chickens will sleep huddled on the floor. Perching is a chicken’s natural way of sleeping. These roosts allow the hens to huddle closer during the cold weather or spread out when its warmer.

Build Comfortable Nesting Boxes

Every hen need to lay their eggs in privacy, hence, the need for individual nesting boxes. Ideal measurements would be 14”x14”x14” with divider walls.

Elevate the Nesting Area’s Floor

The floor should be at least 2 to 3 feet off the ground. Doing so keeps you’re their feet dry when it rains. You may include a ramp inside so the chicken can move freely between the coop and the run. But you just have to make sure that you build stacked double barn doors for easier maintenance.

Put Straws in the Nesting Boxes

It is always a good idea to add straws in the nesting boxes for added comfort while the hens lay their eggs.
Some growers forego the traditional nesting boxes and instead use beautiful wicker baskets padded with straws for their hens to lay eggs. They are cozy and “stylish”. You want to make it more “fun”? Add a few colorful paintings or paint the wicker baskets with different colors to liven up the coop.

Make Sure to Have a Safe Outdoor Space

Install a run-screened-in with sturdy hardware cloth. This also ensures that the flock don’t wander all over the yard and wreak havoc on your beautiful flowering plants or vegetable patch. You don’t have to worry, and you don’t need to watch them every time they are outside the coop. This design will allow the chickens to move around outside without getting “snatched” by the neighbor’s cat or dog.

Vents are Important

If there is no ample air circulation inside the chicken coop, your hens could get sick and it’s easier for the illness to spread among all the hens because of the enclosed space. Build vents to ensure better air circulation. A slanted roof is also a good design.

Ensure Your Flock’s Convenience

The best chicken coop ideas and tips? Make sure that your hens are comfortable in and out of the coop. Provide fresh water every day and keep the area clean.