How To Build A Chicken Coop - Important Points & Plans

If you are thinking to starts your own chicken business dealing in chicken and organic egg than it’s a good idea because it a lifelong business. Harvesting chicken is a good source of business more you will be able to raise chicken more of meat and eggs you can Harvest. Before that keep in mind that you have to take care of chicken properly because if not cared properly there is possibility that your chicken might get infected via disease. When we think about chicken business very first thing which come across is chicken coop and how to build a chicken coop? Until and unless you have chicken coop you cannot start your business successfully. 

Keeping this in mind we have to think first whether you want it in a large scale for small scale business or just for fun shake as many people are found of keeping chicken to cut off of their some expenses from monthly budget. Building Chicken coop is going to be easy if you follow up all steps by steps instruction of some manual if you have or whatever instruction or idea you are following.

Before starting with building process first and most important thing is that you have to decide, whether you are going to start long term plan in chicken harvesting or short term plan. Depending on this size of the coop will depend. Apart from this you should also have clear idea about:

1. What will the number of chicken you are going to keep - as the size of the coop will totally depend on this more is the chicken more space you will require.
2. For how long you are going to continue keeping chicken because material and item required to build coop will change than. It should be more stronger and comfortable for chickens.

As you must have decide about your plan. Now we can look into the step which is required and important to start your chicken coop project.

• Step 1 - You should have Chicken coop plan - As you may not have idea about the plan how to start with and from where to start with so you need a plan for coop some best plan depending on the size of your coop. You can even get it by some coop builder and when you have your plan you can start with it on your own, if you have interest in building activities or you can even take help of some expert hand. 

• Step 2- Collect all material required of building your Coop - After having your plan you need to collect all little’s and basic material which you need to build chicken coop. Material like Hammer, nails, measuring tapes, drills, chicken wires, gloves and of course wood, ply wood or particle wood. Apart from this you also need material which will comfort your chickens, like straws, lights some bamboos for them to sit on, etc. Collecting all Materials at once will help you to continue your project smoothly.

Things need to be given Importance in your Chicken Coop Plans

• Coop Shape and Size – It is very important that you leave space for chicken to move around freely, flap their wings, both indoor and outdoor. For indoor space 1 chicken need 2 sq ft, so to get a clear idea multiply number of chicken to are planning to keep with 2. For outdoor each chicken need 3-4 Sq ft area. 

• Ventilation – Proper ventilation is very important for chickens coop. Surface of the coop will be warm because of straw’s in it, ventilation will allow cool air to enter coop and it will help in keeping coop cool. Ventilation should be on roof, also exhaust fan and if your coop height is tall than it requires ventilation both on top and bottom.

• Shelter and Protection – It is very important that what kind of shelter is there in your plan. Chicken needs shelter, dry and warm without it they won’t be able to survive for long. As your coop will be located outdoor your chicken will be exposed to all types of weather winter, summer, rainy. Your plan must have some form of insulation to protect your chicken from all types of weather. Chicken are more comfortable on temperature between 40 – 85 degree Fahrenheit neither too hot nor too cold. Roof should be water tight, for that you can even give metal sheet roof. Select your material for coop according to that. It will give them long lives.

• Protection from Predators – Chicken needs to be taken care against predators. Often run area are attached to coop so make sure that run area should be covered with chicken wire (covered run will help chicken to move around fearlessly) so that no predators can attack. Coop should be constructed at a height of 2-4 feet from the ground with a ramp leading down, so that in case if any predator breaks the wire chicken can immediately climb to their coop. This will also protect chicken on heavy rains and snowfall to get away from wet surface.   

• Perching Area – Chicken too like to perch so it’s important that you provide some bamboos or thick stick inside their coop for them and chicken sleep well when they are perching.

• Lightning – Make sure that you are providing light for chicken in coop. This help to have their food water in dark, keep them warm and will also protect them from any predators. Light will also help hen to lay their eggs because egg laying hens require 13-14 hrs of daylight to produce egg, when days are shorter but don’t use bluish light.

• Nesting Area – This is very important for hen where they lay their eggs. Provide them full comfort nesting area. A Hen can lay 300 eggs in a year and on every 1-2 days. Frequency might change accordingly with change in weather and breeding. Make sure to keep nesting area large so that hens can easily and comfortably lay their egg. You can even hang some basket fill with straws for each hen.

• Foods – Food and water for chickens should be kept away from their litters so that it won’t get contaminated. Contaminated food will spread disease on coop. while constructing coop make sure that you keeping food area separate. Chickens loves to peck their food all day long so leave their food there. Give some commercial chicken food or you can even make chicken food on your own by mixing water, fiber and grain. Allow your chicken to have plenty of grassy pastures, this will help your chicken to lay egg with golden yolk and substantial white. Make your chickens peck on insect to have extra nutrients.

• Clean Environment – Surroundings of chickens should be clean. You have to clean chicken coop every now and then. For that you need door big enough for you to reach and clean it properly. You may also keep dropping tray in coop so that you need not have to reach inside coop every day to clean. Tray can be easily be taken out to clean up the droppings. Keep the flooring of sand and stones it will keep chickens feet clean.  

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What Food Should be given to Chicken:

First we should keep in mind that chicken are omnivores that means they cold peck almost everything given to them, but this doesn’t mean that you can give everything to your chickens there are certain things which should be given on some specified quantity excessive intake would cause effect on their health. Chicken has to have lot of protein and calcium in their diet to lay their Eggs.A proper balance diet is essential for chicken to keep them healthy and could lay lots of eggs.

Food Which Should be given to chickens

Chickens are table scrape lover but, make sure that scrape doesn’t contain any fatty or salty item. They can eat anything from stale bread to soggy vegies but,if you are going to feed your chicken more of bread and stale cereal, than your chicken will only become fat and they will not get protein which is important for them.

Cracked Corn are loved by chickens it is likely to be a candy for them but, it has no benefits it only give calories to them. So if you give them little in cold weather its good for their taste.

Hulled Sunflower seed are good treat. It has protein in it and bit of essential fat. But, don’t offer too many seeds with cell in it, as it will cause an impacted crop. Too many seeds will affect their digestive system.

Raw Apples can be given to them, but keep in mind don’t give access of that because it may kill them.

Bananasand Strawberry is a good treat and chickens like’s it a lot, but only give banana without peel (note: some chicken might like bananas but some may not. It depend on breed). You can also feed your chickens with all types of Berries.

Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage and Brussels sprouts you can also feed your chicken with this item, hang it somewhere in their coop and they will peck on it for whole day. But, Broccoli could cause stomach upset so offer it in small amount.

Garden Green that normally goes on waste can also be given to them like Pea Plants, Bean stalk, Carrot leaves. But, never ever feed your chicken with Potato, Tomato and Rhubarb leaves.

Mealworms chicken are found of mealworm, it is also a good source of protein. It gives chicken 50% of protein. You can give both live and dried Mealworm. But, it should be given in a small amount. Don’t feed them with it as their main diet because access of mealworm has a changes of causing kidney failure in chickens. 

Pumpkins is full of antioxidants, Vitamin A, C and E and minerals like copper, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and pumpkin seed contains 30 grams of protein on 100 grams of seeds. They will definitely like this nutritious pumpkin treat. 

Cooked Rice, Pasta and Spaghetti are loved by chickens so you can give them in large amount.

Even Yogurt’s is good for their intestine, and like them too

Hard cook and scrambled egg is good for their treat, chicken like to eat it and it also provide them high amount of protein.

Fish and Fish Skin can also be given to chickens as they love it a lot and it is also full of calcium.

You can also serve your chicken with crushed Oyster shell, this will give them calcium to produce nice hard cell egg.

What should not be given to your Chickens

Never feed your chickens Avocado or its peel or seed, because the fruit and seed itself is poisonous to them infact to all birds.

Don’t feed your chickens with onions and garlic as it will be harmful for them, they can eat sometime but in a very small quantity. Onion and garlic can also change the taste of Egg.

Raw green potato peels it has toxin called solanine which is harmful for them.

Candy, chocolates and sugar could rot their beak and could affect their digestive system. So its better to keep away your chicks from this items.

Avoid giving salty and fatty food, it will affect their health

Don’t give Dried Beans or undercooked beans because it contain Hemaglutin which is poisonous toxic for chicken and all birds.

Don’t feed your chickens with raw meat, because it will cause disease in them.

Apart from all these one most important thing for chicken is Clean Water. One Chicken can drink around 4 – 5 cups of water a day. So it is very necessary to keep water for them all the time so that they could have sufficient amount of water for them anytime they need. Make sure that you check whether water is clean or not because chicken don’t like dirty water and they will not have it. During winter make sure that water is not frozen, if so they cannot drink water than.