Location, Location, Location - Build Your Own Chicken House on the Right Site!
Your success as a chicken farmer depends on so many things and where you decide to put your chicken coop is one of the biggies.
When you choose to build your own chicken house the very first thing that you should think of is the site that it will go on.
There are 3 essential things that you should think about; Terrain The terrain that the chicken house will go on is important for two reasons.
The first is that if you were to build your own chicken house on uneven ground you will end up with a building that will become very unstable over time, it will be prone to leaks and drafts as the wood moves to try and stay grounded and it will be very difficult to keep the chicken nests level.
Why is that important? Well, you try sleeping or laying an egg on an angle! The other complication with building on uneven ground - especially those coops which are built in a bit of a dip - is the threat of water coming in and flooding your coop.
It would be a shame to go through all the hard work of building your own chicken house just to see it get washed away with the first storm.
If you don't have any level ground on your property it is really advisable to hire some excavation equipment and level off a section big enough for your coop and a run.
Far better to spend the money to get it right the first time than have to rebuild later.
Aesthetics How is your chicken coop going to look in the site that you have chosen? If you are building a medium or larger coop, then it may pay to mark out the ground so you get an indication of just how it will look in your backyard.
Many people now have their coops as the unlikely center peace to their backyard because they underestimated just what they were building.
When you build your own chicken house it also pays to take into consideration where it is in relation to your neighbors.
Your site might be 1000 yards away from your house, but right under their balcony that they have breakfast at every morning, or right under their bedroom window.
Now, I'm all for doing your own thing, but I also firmly believe that antagonizing your neighbors for the sake of it just isn't worth the hassle, so if you can find or make another spot that will be less offensive it may pay to do so.
Elements Sun, wind, shade, cold.
These four words can make a real difference to how comfortable your chickens are.
In a nutshell, they need loads of light and a constant temperature.
So when you build your own chicken house make sure that it is positioned to make the most of the sun during the day, is insulated so that it keeps the warmth in and the drafts out.
Building in an area that is prone to cold or strong wind will also create a draft through the coop that is very difficult to stop and will increase the need for more insulation.
Do not build your chicken house in the shade! If you build a portable coop then by all means move it into the shade during the hottest part of the day, but as a general rule building in the shade is a really bad idea.
Chicken need consistent light and warmth, neither of which are provided in the shade of a tree.
When you choose to build your own chicken house the very first thing that you should think of is the site that it will go on.
There are 3 essential things that you should think about; Terrain The terrain that the chicken house will go on is important for two reasons.
The first is that if you were to build your own chicken house on uneven ground you will end up with a building that will become very unstable over time, it will be prone to leaks and drafts as the wood moves to try and stay grounded and it will be very difficult to keep the chicken nests level.
Why is that important? Well, you try sleeping or laying an egg on an angle! The other complication with building on uneven ground - especially those coops which are built in a bit of a dip - is the threat of water coming in and flooding your coop.
It would be a shame to go through all the hard work of building your own chicken house just to see it get washed away with the first storm.
If you don't have any level ground on your property it is really advisable to hire some excavation equipment and level off a section big enough for your coop and a run.
Far better to spend the money to get it right the first time than have to rebuild later.
Aesthetics How is your chicken coop going to look in the site that you have chosen? If you are building a medium or larger coop, then it may pay to mark out the ground so you get an indication of just how it will look in your backyard.
Many people now have their coops as the unlikely center peace to their backyard because they underestimated just what they were building.
When you build your own chicken house it also pays to take into consideration where it is in relation to your neighbors.
Your site might be 1000 yards away from your house, but right under their balcony that they have breakfast at every morning, or right under their bedroom window.
Now, I'm all for doing your own thing, but I also firmly believe that antagonizing your neighbors for the sake of it just isn't worth the hassle, so if you can find or make another spot that will be less offensive it may pay to do so.
Elements Sun, wind, shade, cold.
These four words can make a real difference to how comfortable your chickens are.
In a nutshell, they need loads of light and a constant temperature.
So when you build your own chicken house make sure that it is positioned to make the most of the sun during the day, is insulated so that it keeps the warmth in and the drafts out.
Building in an area that is prone to cold or strong wind will also create a draft through the coop that is very difficult to stop and will increase the need for more insulation.
Do not build your chicken house in the shade! If you build a portable coop then by all means move it into the shade during the hottest part of the day, but as a general rule building in the shade is a really bad idea.
Chicken need consistent light and warmth, neither of which are provided in the shade of a tree.