The Way To Build A Chicken Coop - Five Common Mistakes To Avoid When Building Chicken Coops

You have decided to build a chicken coop for your flock. A great call. You can save yourself a lot of cash and can customize your coop to fit your requirements. Before you start though it is sensible to listen to the advice of experienced coop builders to avoid these common mistakes.

When questioned about the biggest mistakes they made when building their chicken coops, chicken owners listed the following :

1. Not making the coop enormous enough. You'll plan on only having some chickens, but when the baby chicks come or the chicken raising obsession kicks in, you may find your chicken house too little. The recommended size is 4 sq. feet per bird in the coop and 10 square feet in the run for standard chickens. For bantam chickens you can get away with 0.5 of this space.

2. Not making the chicken house tall enough. It is hard to maintain your coop if you're continually hitting your head or crouching around!

3. Not insulating or using the wrong insulation. Keep your chickens warm in the winter by insulating their coop. But do not use foam insulation. Reputedly chickens like to peck at it. Who knew? Ensure your coop plans take into account your local climate.

4. Not having a poop plan! When installing the roosts it is a great idea to install poop pans below them to catch the droppings. Position the feeders and waterers so that they do not splattered. You will also need a plan to remove the poop from the coop.

5. Not putting in enough windows or large enough Windows : Windows provide light and ventilation. Confirm all of the windows open so that your chicks get unpolluted air.

I'm hoping this give you a "heads-up" on issues to avoid when building your chicken coop. With good chicken house plans, wood, nails and a few good tools, you will be well on your way to offer a cozy home for your flock.

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