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==== ====
As more people strive to be self-reliant, they are choosing to raise chickens in their backyards.
Choosing the right chicken coop is essential to keeping your flock healthy and happy.
Backyard chickens are becoming popular today in many cities, including Albuquerque, Seattle and
New York. Cities across the nation are revising their local zoning and land-use laws to include
backyard chickens in the regulations.
Before bringing new chickens home to your backyard though, you need to carefully choose the
right chicken coop for your situation. Be sure to check your local city regulations before buying
your chickens.
Tips for Choosing the Right Chicken Coop
Talk to city officials. How many chickens are you allowed in your yard? What is the distance they
need to be kept from dwellings? Any other special regulations?
Choose the site best for your coop. The site needs to be well drained-you don't want your
chickens standing in mud! Expose the coop to the south to provide good sun. Keep in mind the
prevailing weather patterns in your area. Face the door so the coop is protected from the rain and
wind.
Complement your home and yard with the right chicken coop design. Matching the design of the
coop to your house or neighborhood makes it pleasing to look at and promotes backyard chickens
to your neighbors.
Remodel an existing structure into a coop. You can turn a garden shed, a playhouse the kids
outgrew or another outdoor structure into a chicken coop with a little creativity, tools and materials.
You can even turn a corner of your garage into a chicken house and build a run outside.
Pre-fab coops are more expensive, but easier and quicker to get up and going with your chickens.
Just order and the coop will arrive ready to be moved into your yard. You can also order "some-
assembly required" kits.
Build it yourself. If you love woodworking or want to learn, building your own chicken coop can be
a great project to hone your skills. You can purchase chicken coop plans and blueprints online.
Once your neighbors see your hand-built coop, they may set you up with woodworking projects for
them!
Chicken Tractor- No, you're not hitching your chicken up to a plow, but the concept of working the
soil is the same. A chicken tractor is a movable coop that allows you to move your chickens over
fresh grass in your yard every day. They eat the bugs and weed seeds, scratch at the soil and
fertilize it. And they give you omega-3 rich eggs to boot. It's a win-win situation.
How big? You need to plan ahead for the size of your coop. Each hen needs a minimum of 4
square feet, inside and outside the coop. If you get Bantams, figure about 3 square feet per hen,
since they are smaller. Overcrowded chickens tend to peck at each other, which can start a host of
problems. For cold weather, you want the spacing to be adequate so the chickens can stay warm.
Have a quarantine area. A separate area to keep new birds for a week or two allows you to keep
your flock healthy. It's also a good area to separate a hen if she becomes ill, until she recovers.
You can also separate the occasional over-aggressive hen that is pestering the other birds.
Make sure the coop is wind and water tight. Your chickens need protection from the elements to
stay healthy. They like shade during the heat of the day, but also need protection from cold drafts.
Use closeable windows for ventilation or a line of screened vents built into the top of north and
south facing walls.
Use appropriate building materials. Wood on the bottom of the coop that is in contact with the soil
will eventually rot. Redwood and cedar are rot-resistant and excellent choices. Pine is cheaper
and may need replacing in the future or require treatment. Be aware that preservatives put on
wood might be poisonous to chickens. Use metal, fiberglass or wood shingles for the roof.
Perches. Chickens need to perch off the ground at night. You can be creative making perches
from broom handles, natural branches or 2x2's rounded and sanded (1x2 for bantams). Figure 6-
10 inches of perching space per hen or 6-8 inches for bantams.
Nesting boxes. Provide 1 nesting box for every 4-5 hens. They will often share a nest. Build the
boxes where you can reach in through a hinged door for easy access to collect the eggs.
Predators. Raccoons, dogs, skunks, owls and hawks-all love a good chicken dinner or a pre-dawn
egg breakfast. Dig a trench 1 foot around the perimeter of the coop, lay in chicken wire and cover
with dirt to keep predators from digging under your coop. Make latches secure from nimble
raccoon fingers. And protect chickens overhead with chicken wire, away from the hawks and owls.
Keep it clean. Plan your coop for easy to clean maintenance. Use the manure in your compost pile
for valuable nutrients for your garden. Clean your chicken coop frequently to keep smells, bugs
and neighbor complaints to a minimum.
Pre-plan how you are going to get inside the coop. If it's hard to get into, you'll avoid cleaning it,
which will result in a buildup of manure. Use leaf litter, pine shavings or chopped corn cobs for
bedding.
Your chicken coop design can elaborate and grand, simple and plain or anything in between to
complement your home and neighborhood. The main point to remember is that the coop needs to
protect your flock, keeping them dry, secure and comfortable. Following the tips on choosing the
right chicken coop will ensure that backyard chickens continue to be accepted in more cities,
bringing self-reliance back to the individual.
©2011 Shanna Ohmes
Learn more about homesteading, traditional foods, herbs, livestock and natural living skills at The
Natural Living Site http://thenaturallivingsite.com/blog
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shanna_Ohmes
==== ====
Learn how to build your own Chicken Coops the right way the first time..check outthe best selling
chicken coop plan book online..this is all you need to to get the job done !
http://chickencoopplansv.com
==== ====