Chicken Coops

Have you always wanted to have backyard chicken coops but thought you couldn't since you live in the city? While there are some cities that don't allow any type of farm animal, many cities do and you're allowed to have chickens.

However, some of these cities that allow chickens to be kept do not allow roosters due to the crowing and complaints from neighbors. You'll want to check with your city to make sure you're not breaking any animal nuisance laws.

The reasons for keeping chickens vary from wanting fresh eggs to wanting a different kind of pet to desiring a bit of the country in the city. Not only can there be a savings on the grocery bill by producing eggs for family use, but many neighbors are joining together to create chicken projects. They're splitting costs of the materials to build the backyard chicken coops as well as the cost of the feed and incidentals.

If you figure that you want to have a coop for hens of your own, they're not at all difficult to build, plus you can design your own plans to make the coop look like a little house or barn rather than the traditional coop you may remember. All it takes is a little planning before you get started.

You'll need to make sure you plan enough space for each chicken as over crowded conditions can lead to sickness among the chickens. The general rule of thumb for space is to have approximately four square feet of space for each chicken though it never hurts to have more. As you're building the chicken coop take into consideration the area where you live.

If you live in a northern state where snow and ice are a regular part of the weather, you're going to need a coop that's adequately insulated to keep the chickens warm. You don't want to have to bring them indoors for them to survive. If you happen to live in an area where the winters are not as harsh, but the summers are scorchers, you'll have to make sure the coop is built to provide maximum cooling.

When building the home for your chickens, you don't have to spend a lot of money buying brand new materials. You can build it from recycled materials, such as wood left over from a home project - even hinges salvaged from old kitchen or bathroom makeovers can be put to use as hinges for a chicken coop door.

Whatever materials you use to build your backyard chicken coops, make sure you've provided good ventilation in the snug home for your chickens otherwise you can get an ammonia build up that's not good for you or the chickens.

Raising chickens is a fun hobby and can lead to a nice, small income for those willing to put the effort into it. Like people, chickens have to have lodging and that lodging can come in all forms. You can buy chicken coop designs for as few or as many chickens as you plan to keep.

Before you choose one design over another there a few points to consider that will affect your decision. Since a chicken coop can come in a range of sizes and weights, you need to figure out if there's room enough to support the coop. If you rent a home or apartment, you'll need to purchase or make a coop that can easily move from one location to the next.

Secondly, the layout of the design and how much room it will offer per chicken is important. You can't crowd several chickens in a coop designed to house two to four chickens. The design will have to provide for a roomy enough nesting area.

Even though several chickens will often only use the two or three nesting boxes, sometimes that's not the case and you'll want to make sure the chickens have plenty of nests. You can get several nests built either side by side or on top of one another in situated in stacks to save space.

No matter what type of design you have for a chicken coop, make sure you use quality material in building it. It's okay to use salvaged or recycled items as long as they're in good shape and can provide the chickens with adequate shelter and warmth.

Choose a design that can withstand variations in weather. Some designs are very attractive and created to have that wow factor but they're not sturdy enough to last. You don't want to buy or create a design that will only be around temporarily.

If you're not an expert in building and drawing up a detailed set of plans is a struggle, then you should look for a pre-made set of designs and pick on that you like. You can find designs in hardback books, eBooks you can download faster (and cheaper) and you can check out seed or hardware stores for designs for sale.

There are some designs that you can buy that will teach you how to build a chicken coop for well under a hundred dollars. There are some designs for coops that can cost close to a thousand dollars. The amount of money spent on the design should be decided by the purpose of the hens - whether they're for pleasure or business.

Chicken coop designs can make the job of building a coop go a lot smoother than guessing which piece of wood goes where. With all of the choices, you should be able to find one that you like and suits your needs.

Chicken coop kits are materials gathered together in one order that you can use to build a place to hold chickens. All of the pieces to build the coop are enclosed in the kit and all you have to do is put the kit together. These are a great idea for anyone - including people who aren't handy with a skill saw or measuring for precision.

Many kits are available for selection and they come in choices of small, medium or large. These kits also vary in design. Some chicken coop kits are constructed with the intention that they can be moved from one location to another.

These kits are popular for those who live in cities and want to change the area of the coop over time. Moveable kits are the smallest of the kits, since they have to be light enough to be transported from one spot to another. Other kits are larger, heavier and are put together with the intention of remaining in one place.

The choice of whether to buy a portable coop or a larger one should be based on the number of chickens planned for the coop. Having more than two or three chickens means you'll need a larger coop than a smaller, portable one.

Selecting the right kit to buy also depends on the plans you have for the chickens. If you plan to keep the chickens for your own enjoyment and for a supply of eggs for your family, you can have a kit that provides a small coop. If you want to sell eggs, you'll need to buy the best kit you can get-one that offers plenty of room for the chickens.

When deciding which of the chicken coop kits is the right one for you, don't focus only on the needs of today, but also look toward the years to come. If you think that keeping chickens may be something you're going to want to grow as a business, then you should get the largest kit you can find.

Not all of kits are the same and some are better than others. Compare the kits as you do your research and make sure the kit was designed with expert knowledge about keeping chickens.

Don't buy kits that don't properly prepare for the correct ventilation installment and don't buy kits that make cleaning the coop a monumental task. There are two main purposes of the coop - to shelter chickens in comfort and safety.

These kits are a great idea for people who want to have a chicken coop but don't know how to build one or don't want to take the time to do it. These kits are easy to assemble and provide everything you'll need.

The kits come with the lumber already precut so there's no need to measure and they provide all the hardware to put the lumber together. Some kits also offer technical support so if there are any problems, an expert will be on hand to guide the purchaser. Purchasing chicken coop kits are a quick alternative to the time it takes to build one yourself.

The practice of using a small chicken coop rather than a larger one is becoming more popular. There are several reasons why these coops are gaining in popularity. One reason is because hectic, busy lifestyles are better suited for these kinds of coops.

The reason cited most often for having smaller coops is because they're not as hard to keep in a sanitary condition as the larger coops are. With a smaller coop, once the chickens are out of it, the coop can be cleaned in a shorter amount of time. There won't be much (if any) scrubbing to do after the coop is washed down with the garden hose.

Cost is another reason the smaller coop wins out over the bigger one. They're not as expensive to build because there isn't the need for all the lumber larger coops need in order to construct them.

There's a smaller amount of hardware to be used and a smaller area needed for ventilation. A smaller coop can be put together in a day versus the length of time it takes to build a standard size coop.

Because of the size, smaller chicken coops can be kept in nearly any location where they're allowed. Even a condominium with what's commonly called a postage stamp backyard has room enough to support the existence of a small chicken coop. With a smaller coop, if you build it in one area of your yard but notice a problem with that area, a smaller coop is a lot easier to move than a larger one.

Small chicken coops are great for people who want to have chickens but don't have the time or the space to give to larger coops. Not only are these scaled down versions of bigger coops easier to maintain, easier to repair when something needs to be fixes, but they also make it easier for the owners to provide food and water for the chickens.

For someone who wants to have more than four chickens, smaller coops are not a good option. These coops are specifically meant for no more than five or six chickens - maximum. If you want to have chickens specifically to make money from selling eggs, it's better to go with the larger choice.

These coops are built with material just as sturdy as the bigger coops and are meant to last just as long. The small chicken coop is not an inferior version of the larger chicken coops, but rather a scaled down version.

The smaller coops operate much like the larger ones. They offer shelter, a place to nest and safety from natural enemies. If you've always wanted to have chickens but assumed you'd have to stick with the larger coops, now you know you don't have to.