For those short on time or unsure using a hammer, a hen home kit is often an excellent solution to get started on a backyard flock. The kits are total, with all hardware needed, wood cut to specs, plus a set of building plans. Some kits have every little thing, even the paintbrush, included.
If you’re handy with tools, you might want to look at chicken coop plans.
The size of the kit you get really should be decided by the number of hens you strategy to house. A regular four by 4 coop will house 3-4 chickens of typical size. You could figure the number of square feet by multiplying the side measurements, so 4′x4′ is sixteen square feet. Each and every adult chicken needs no less than four square feet.
Naturally you might need to offer an physical exercise area for the chickens so they are able to get fresh air and sunshine, and also to give them a chance to scratch about and just be “hens”. So your coop will need to have to have a chicken run attached.
The run isn’t generally included inside the kit, nevertheless. From time to time the run might be purchased separately as a kit or added oneself with some very good wire and know-how.
Pay attention to the specs of your kit ahead of acquire. Space not necessarily usable by the chickens may possibly be included within the manufacturer’s measurements. Just as your home’s living space doesn’t incorporate measurements of bathrooms and closets, a coop’s nesting boxes and roosting spaces aren’t included inside the chickens’ living space.
Be confident to ask about the wood used inside the structure. Treated wood that’s proof against termites will frequently have arsenic in it. Should you order a run with your chicken coop kit, make certain it won’t be made of chicken wire. Chicken wire can quickly be torn through by neighborhood dogs and other predators.
Once your new hen home kit arrives, count all materials against the shippers manifest. It could seem silly, but many people forget this and find themselves halfway through a chicken coop project with missing parts.
If there is a discrepancy within the list, you’ll be able to contact the manufacturer for replacements before your blood pressure rises too high.
Be sure you consider the chicken coop’s location in your yard carefully. Your chosen location should have protection from the elements.
Chickens require both sunshine and access to shade inside the summertime. Cold climates will require hens have protection from north winds and weather.
Think about protection from the known predators in your area as well. A slide bolt will probably be no match for a raccoon that smells chickens. Raccoons are smart and you may well need to have to consider a padlock or other complex lock to maintain them out.
Keeping backyard chickens is a fast-growing hobby. Chickens is often both terrific pets along with a source of fresh eggs. It is fun for the whole family and could even become a small business.
First-time chicken keepers are usually surprised at the variety of birds available.
Make your first coop the largest you’ll be able to afford (in cost and space). You’ll probably end up with more hens than you expected and they’ll appreciate the space.
There is even more terrific information at chicken coop designs.