Just in case you hadn’t noticed the experts are telling us that we are in the middle of not only an economic crisis, but also a large-scale environmental crisis. The words ‘food miles’ and ‘recession’ are all the rage and seem to provide the perfect chance for supermarkets to charge enormous prices for good quality organic products.. A great way to do both is to erect a backyard chicken coop. Not only will you aid the environment, have terrific tasting fresh eggs – at a fraction of the cost of store bought ones – but you will also have some beautiful new pets that your kids will adore!
Buying a brand new house is uncomplicated and costly option but taking the time to erect a backyard chicken coop all of your own makes great sense financially. You can erect a coop that suits your wants and even the family can get involved adding their own creative flair.
Besides, most hen hutches that you buy from a shop need to be assembled from a flat pack anyway, so by constructing a backyard chicken coop of your own you would save money on materials.
The materials that you use will be the chief discount to you as you can exchange new lumber and hardware for recycled or even plastic in some instances. Ensure that any timber that you use is highly water resistant and durable – MDF is not a suitable timber for this project.
So what else do you have to to do to build a backyard chicken coop?
This will be a Do-it-yourself procedure, so you will want a hammer, nails, the supplies specific to your plan – if at all possible cut to size, and a bit of time set aside to create your backyard chicken coop. Most small coops can be assembled over a weekend.There are a few things that you need to make sure that your coop has before you get going.
Room
Make sure that there is ample floor space per chicken. A minimum of 4 square feet per chicken is the recommended amount for the house. This will guarantee that they have enough room to move.
Exercise
Content fit chickens need exercise, just like us, so if your birds won’t be free range, then a fair sized chook run is a must. The happier your hens are the more habitually they will produce eggs and the better their eggs will taste!
Air
Air is important for three reasons.
Chook droppings contain a large amount of the gas ammonia which is very toxic to the birds and to humans.
Chooks are also prone to disease caused by damp air and damp pens, by planning to have plenty of air circulating you will not only decrease the fumes in the chook hutch but you will also help to keep it dry. Allowing air into the coop will also help to keep the temperature within the coop to be comfy for your girls, especially on stifling days. A crucial point to note; Make sure that any ventilation you put in is designed in such a way that it doesn’t cause cold drafts on the birds or leak in cold weather.
You also should make sure that when you make a backyard chicken coop that has some sort of temperature control. It can be as simple as ventilation in hot climates or insulation in cold climates. If you live in areas that are prone to extreme cold you might even want a heat lamp to make sure that your hens are comfortable.
Raising your backyard chicken coop is also a really good idea. This will helpto put a stop to the coop taking in water during heavy rain.
The last factor that you needto think about is how you are going to guard your chooks from predators.
Measures such as fully fencing your hen run, closing windows and doors at nighttime and digging the pen fence at least 1 foot under the ground, will really make a difference toward keeping your flock protected.
As a final thing, once your hens have moved into their wonderful new residence you should make certain that they regularly have fresh water and food accessible and that the enclosure is maintained regularly. Like any pets they need to be taken care of properly so that they have a long happy and healthy life – while providing you with loads of fantastic tasting eggs!
