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Home Made Chicken Coop – The Best Approach
By admin | November 7, 2009
If you have decided on a home made chicken coop you will obviously have to think about how much you are prepared to pay for the materials and how large you want your coop to be.
You can of course use any timber that is in your budget but remember it must be durable as it is going to have to last through good and bad weather conditions.
Before you start, consider also the building of a chicken run as this will help to keep your chickens healthy. A wire mesh fence around the coop can be sufficient provided of course it is secured properly.
Nesting boxes can be cheaply built and don’t have to be terribly strong as they’re not subject to the weather.
The hen house itself will need careful consideration as it has to be well insulated, light and airy, draft proof and of course large enough to house the number of chickens you intend to keep, plus extra space in case later on you decide to increase your flock. If this is a new venture for you, it would be a good idea to seek advice with regard to the size to numbers ratio.
It is a good idea to make the hen house tall enough to make cleaning easier. Remember if you want healthy chickens cleanliness is essential to protect them from disease. It is also worth considering raising the coop above floor level in order to avoid flooding in bad weather.
Perches should be placed above a moveable tray so that once again cleaning the droppings becomes less of a chore.
For a healthy, happy and egg producing flock the essentials are warmth, cleanliness, protection and plenty of room to move around. So bear all of these things in mind when drawing up your plans for a home made chicken coop.
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