There’s nobody perfect chicken house design. When there were, its creator could be very wealthy, because supplying your flock a secure crib and lay their eggs is among the most significant chicken-keeping decisions you may make. Coops vary in dimensions, materials, and style, with lots of factors being personal preference. However, there are many important features that good designs incorporate. Here are a few points to consider when building or purchasing a coop.
1. Size
Allow two to four square ft of interior space on the floor per hen, with respect to the size your chickens (i.e., bantams need less space, Jersey Giants require more) and the number of waking hrs they spend within the coop. In case your flock spends all day long free-varying outdoors, you’ll be able to most likely pull off 2 square ft per hen.
Think about the eventual size your flock. It’s far simpler to begin with a bigger coop rather than increase your overall coop whenever your flock grows from five to some dozen or even more, so build big.
2. Flooring
Coop flooring is yet another essential consideration. Predators can certainly dig and burrow under dirt floors. While concrete floors are impregnable, they may be costly and frequently not really a DIY choice for beginner coop builders. Wood flooring can house mites along with other parasites, in addition to mold and rot when they get wet.
Consider covering plywood with affordable vinyl floors. This will make for simple cleanup and helps to create an inhospitable atmosphere for mites. Easy to cut and staple lower, vinyl can also be simple to replace when needed.
3. Elevation
Elevated coops tend to be more secure from predators than coops set directly on the floor (unless of course you pour a concrete floor) and can prevent a wood floor from rotting underneath. Raising your coop eight to twelve inches off the floor enables chickens to simply fit underneath, supplying them welcome shelter from sun within the summer time and from sleet and snow during the cold months.
Photo by Rachael Brugger
4. Roosts
Provide no less than 8 inches of roost space per hen. Again, intend on enough space for that eventual quantity of hens you will be raising. Using 2×4 beams using the 4-inch side facing up can be useful for roosting bars. The wide, flat side from the board can help keep the chickens’ ft protected against frostbite in the winter months.
5. Nesting Boxes
You need to provide one nesting box for each 3 to 4 hens, though in fact regardless of the number of boxes you’ve, all your chickens may wish to lay within the same one—at the same time frame. That’s only the way chickens are.
Boxes ought to be roughly 1 sq . ft . by 1 feet high and positioned less than your roosts so that your chickens will not be enticed to settle them during the night. If you reside in a really cold climate and frozen eggs really are a concern, consider interior boxes you need to go into the coop to gain access to, rather of exterior boxes which are accessible from outdoors the coop and for that reason more uncovered to low temperatures.
6. Ventilation
One-fifth of the coop’s surfaces ought to be venting. Good ventilation is essential year-round. Even just in winter, some vents ought to be left open to match air flow, as frostbite is caused more by moisture compared to actual cold. Place vents greater compared to roosts, though lower vents that may be left open within the summer time and closed throughout the cold several weeks are essential, too.
Cover vents with 1/2-inch hardware cloth to avoid predators from gaining access. Staple or nail the wire in position, after which secure it by screwing furring strips or screws and washers across the edges. Chicken wire isn’t sufficient to help keep out predators. Rodents, weasels and snakes can fit with the large holes, and raccoons, dogs and foxes can certainly rip it.
7. Latches
Coop doorways and nesting- box covers ought to be fitted with secure latches. Raccoons can change knobs, untie knots, undo bungee cords, lift latches and slide deadbolts. A predator-proof eye hook having a spring-loaded catch is effective on nesting-box covers, while a deadbolt installed a minimum of 4 ft in the ground an additional lower latch guaranteed having a carabineer is effective on coop doorways.
Incorporating these functions to your coop can get you on the right path to effective chicken keeping. Protecting your flock from predators and supplying a proper atmosphere is very important.
About the writer: Lisa Steele may be the author of Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens…Naturally (St. Lynn’s Press, 2013). She endures a little farm in Virginia together with her husband and a number of chickens, ducks, dogs, horses along with a barn cat. She’is a regular cause of various chicken keeping publications, in addition to her blog www.fresh-eggs-daily.com, and it is an enthusiastic gardener, crafter, baker and knitter in her own spare time.
Tags chicken house, chicken coops, chickens, coop design, Lists, nest boxes, roosts
Resourse: http://hobbyfarms.com/7-design-details-to-build-into-your-coop-3/
Chicken Tractor Good Design Practices, Tips & Tricks For Building, Ideas
Video COMMENTS:
Ostara616: This is by far the best collection of great ideas for chicken tractors I've seen in one place. I'm all steady to go out and make some of my own. Thanks!
geo pres: I have not….questions unanswered.\n\nWe get strong storms here in the mid-west and I am trying to answer that control. Me think we must tie down at each move. With a closed end, which is needed, the wind would take it across the field.\nI want one…just haven't found a satisfactory answer…yet.
Joseph Lewis: Wind is not a problem for any of my pvc chicken tractors, and we have strong wind sometimes in the fall and spring.
Awesome Bent: Thanks for lots of good advice. I love the idea with bug zappers :)
Joseph L: +Awesome Bent Thanks
GetMeThere1: EXCELLENT bunch of great ideas. Thanks for putting this up for us.
Joseph Lewis: +GetMeThere1 Thank You
Jeremy smith: chickens prefer wooden roosting bars over pvc because they are easier to hold, and perhaps more of them than you have in your designs dust boxes are also good, having said that, great video, very helpful and informative, great design and love the bug zapper idea, cannot wait to try it out, well done
Joseph Lewis: +Jeremy smithThanks and I agree. My birds usually free range so they make there own dust baths no need to do the work. I use pvc for perches because it is more sanitary and easier to incorporate into a pvc tractor.
Catherine McGuire: Thank you so much for this video. Hubby and I had no clue how to make one of these with pvc. the wood was too heavy for us to move as we are both seniors and arthritic. this is so doable and will be much lighter. thank you!
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