How to build a chicken coop

Building a chicken coop can be a challenging if you have never done it before or don’t have some sort of guide or design in mind. Using the following tips and building them in to your design elements will help you build a chicken coop that is not only safe for your chickens but also great to look at and functional.

1) Safety First

Chickens need protection from things such as predators, rain, snow, and summer heat. A well thought out design will ensure your chickens stay safe from all of these.

I would recommend always using quality construction materials when building a chicken coop. This includes thick wire mesh and sturdy windows and doors. The smallest of predators can chew their way through thin wood and wire mesh and you dont want is to wake up and find dead chickens! Ensure your coop is well ventilated in hot & dry seasons. You will want to keep a good amount of fresh air circulating through the coop as well. This will not only cool the coop but prevent diseases caused by stagnant air.

2) Easy Care

Your coop will need to be cleaned regularly to keep it free from Disease and sickness. Cleaning your chicken coop should be made as easy as possible as you will be doing this frequently.

A great tip I learnt was to slope the bottom floor down towards the front door. Then when your washing the inside the water will quickly run out of the coop instead of puddling in the middle. Keep the doors and windows open to allow fresh air to circulate and quicken the drying process. To also help with the drying process you should locate the coop so that it is in the sun regularly.

3) Keep it Warm and Bright

Now for colder seasons you can install insulation to help keep the warm air in and this also helps keeping them dry in wet seasons. You will need some type of lightning system which will provide light for you and a heating source for your chickens. [http://www.how-to-build-a-chicken-coop-diy.info]

Building a chicken coop myself saved me so much money and was far better then paying $500+ for one.

Happy building 🙂

Article originally published at Source by Tony Cavanaugh