The Chicken Coop
The simplest coop to build is a square building with one roof and two doors – one for you and one for the chickens.
Make the coop tall enough that you can stand easily for chores throughout the year.
Make it large enough for the quantity of chickens you desire, plus room to add a few more along the way.
Traditionally an allocation of 2.5 square feet per full-sized chicken has been stated as adequate housing. A little more is a lot better. More space means less concentration of odor, fewer fights between the flock, certainly less stress, and more places to put your feet when entering the coop.
Twenty five chickens of any breed, will thrive in a 10×10′ (100 square feet) corner of a barn or shed (calculated at 4 sq. ft. per chicken). Add an outdoor run of 400 square feet, and your chickens will have ample room to grow and exercise.
Although you will need to provide a shelter for your chickens, it merely needs to be adequate. Adequate protection from extreme temperature and from predators. Adequate space to eliminate stress induced from cramped living quarters. Adequate containment from your personal property and other farm animals’ living quarters.
A converted shed or corner of an existing barn will be sufficient. If you must build a shelter you’ll find that with a little planning and two people’s efforts a new coop could be constructed and ready to house chickens with just a day’s work.
In the last 10 years one type of chicken housing has been growing in popularity in both urban and country yards. Dubbed the ‘chicken tractor’, this movable coop is made to house four to six chickens comfortably.
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Mobility ensures no one area of the yard is compromised and chickens are less likely to develop internal parasitic infestations as a result. Tops are hinged to make egg collection and food and water changes a snap.
Chicken Coop Basics
Keeping your coop clean serves a dual purpose. Your chickens remain healthy and odors are controlled. If you save coop cleaning chores to once per week, other obligations will almost always take you away. On the other hand, regular maintenance in your twice daily visits will result in a coop kept nearly as clean as the day your chickens arrived.
Daily chores include checking chickens’ dishes, collecting eggs (if raising layers), and opening/closing yard access. Take just a few minutes, every now and then, to add new litter, sweep dust off rafters and walls, change nesting materials, or remove wet litter from the base of watering stations. You’ll now have your weekends free to enjoy your chickens from the back porch.
Every coop differs in how often it requires a cleaning out. You will know when the litter needs to be completely replaced by its lack of ability to absorb odors.
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Chicken Coop Plans
