The Small Chicken Coop

The Advantages of Small Chicken Coops
Nowadays, an increasing number of people are becoming interested in building chicken coops, and with new plans and designs for DIY coops becoming available in the market, you can choose specific features and create a coop that is custom made for your own personal requirements. For starters, however, it is always a better idea to make a smaller chicken coop first and then upgrade to a larger one with more chickens after they have gained some experience. Here are a few reasons why building a small chicken coop is better than a large one.
Lower Building Material Costs
Everyone wants to get the most out of the smallest amount of investment. The basic reason why you must opt for a small coop over a large one is the lower cost of material needed to construct the coop. Furthermore, maintenance will also cost much less for a small coop and you will soon realize that smaller coops will save you quite a lot of money initially. Also, a smaller coop will be ready in lesser time and it will also need less effort, so you may want to consider keeping a small coop instead of a large one.
Maintenance
Maintenance is also much easier for a small chicken coop. You will be able to clean the coop regularly and quickly with ease, and this is definitely a better option for you if you want to keep the chicken coop as a side project and not a full-time one. If the coop is small, it will take less time to clean, and you will have more time to spend on other activities or work.
Portability
Lastly, smaller chicken coops have an advantage over large ones in terms of mobility. If you move a lot, it will be a much lesser hassle to have a small coop. Another advantage of a small coop is that you can move it around in your backyard so that the grass doesn't become dry. The chickens will also enjoy searching for weeds and bugs and other insects in the ground. Also, you can move the coop to place it in sunlight or even in the shade of a tree, giving you endless options for placement.
an increasing number of individuals are choosing small coops over large ones so consider your requirements and find out the most suitable option for your needs. Remember, the security and comfort of your chickens is of utmost importance, and whatever design you choose must fulfill their needs for comfort as much as yours.
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Planning Small Chicken Coops

Raising your own chickens can be very rewarding and a lot of fun. Not to mention the fresh and free eggs you'll be getting every day! If you're only planning on keeping a few chickens in your back garden then small chicken coops may be perfect for you. However, when trying to come up with a small chicken coop design you need to keep in mind a few different points to make sure that you build a coop that is both suitable for yours and the chicken's needs.
1. The first thing you need to remember is that because you'll be using a small coop you obviously won't be able to keep as many chickens. In general a chicken requires 4 ft.² of space inside the coop so this should provide you with a good estimate of how many chickens you'll be able to keep.
2. Think about the size of your garden and try factor in the fact that small chicken coop plans usually don't include a run. You will need to provide your chickens with an area outside of the coop for them to run around in.
3. Even if you're building small chicken coops for your garden in an urban area you will still need to make sure that the design is strong enough to stand against potential predators such as urban foxes.
When learning how to build a small chicken coop it's important to take these factors into account so that you can be sure your chickens will be safe as well as happy.
Using professional coop designs is not only a great way to save time but will also ensure your chickens are safe and happy. If you'd like to download some great small coop plans instantly to your computer then please visit http://diybuildachickencoop.info.

How to Build a Small Chicken Coop - Step by Step

Any person who raises chickens realizes the importance of building a good chicken coop. A chicken coop is essentially a makeshift habitat for your chicken, where they will live, eat, sleep, and lay eggs. They also serve to protect chickens against both predators as well as against inclimate weather. Of course you will always find that there are those people who say that keeping chickens confined in coops is unethical and that they should be allowed to remain free, outdoors, at all times. But if you are in the business of raising chickens to produce eggs then you need to keep them healthy, well-fed, and safe, all three objectives of which are met if you have a good chicken coop set up.

So do you think that you are handy enough that you could learn how to build a small chicken coop, step by step, on your own? This, as opposed to buying a pre-built coop?

Well, here is a brief overview of the step-by-step process you would need to follow to plan, design, construct, and maintain a small chicken coop all by yourself:

1. Decide how many chickens you intend to house at any one time. Based on this, you need to allow for about 4.5 square feet of space per chicken. You also need space for nests. The bare minimum, if you are looking to cut corners and have the chickens time share the nests to have 3 nests for every 8 chickens. You also should be prepared to provide at least 9 inches of perch length for each and every chicken.

2. Decide on a layout. Where will the nests be? Where will perches be? Where / how will the chickens get access to their food supply and to their water supply? How will you gain access to the coop to clean out the animal waste? Will the chicken be able to enter and exit from the coop into a small yard area to get some occasional exercise?

3. Decide on whether you want the coop to be portable, on wheels, or not, and try to assess how portable you expect to be.

4. Select the materials you will use. This depends on how portable you expect the coop to be. If it is going to be stationary, you are encouraged to use a wood frame, wire meshes for the walls, and aluminum or steel for the roof. If it going to be mobile, you are better off using lighter materials like PVC pipes for the frames and you should build the roof and walls from tarp.

5. Begin construction of the chicken coop according to your design specifications.

How to build a small chicken coop if you have the carpentry skills, as long as you can follow the design specifications that you have chosen.

Raising chickens can be a fun and rewarding experience, but knowing how to raise them can be a challenge sometimes. Check out my website if you want to learn more about raising chickens and how to build a small chicken coop step by step. Another great resource that I have found for building a small chicken coop step by step can be found HERE.

Small Chicken Coop

Raising chickens is a rewarding past-time that can be performed anywhere in the world, no matter what type of environment you live in. You can get a regular supply of fresh eggs that you know won't contain any sort of chemicals or unnatural hormones. Even if you live in an urban environment and had thought that you didn't have the space or the right sort of facilities, chances are good that if you use a small chicken coop you can easily raise chickens of your own.

Of course, this means you won't be able to raise as many birds as maybe you'd like to, but you can still raise one or two chickens even if you live in cramped suburbia, just as long as you have at least a small patch of grass or dirt for them to stretch their legs on. There's a difference, after all, between a small chicken coop and a cramped one.

The basic space requirements for your birds should be as follows:

* At least 4 square feet of space per bird in the coop itself.

* At least 10 square feet of space per bird in the "chicken run," or outside section of the coop.

* At least 9 horizontal feet of perch space for your chickens to sleep on.

Keep these space requirements in mind, and you can ensure that your hens will lay plenty of eggs. Stressed birds will lay fewer eggs, and cramped birds are stressed birds, so that's why this is important even when building a small chicken coop.

Some Design Ideas

In essence, what you will be building is a regular-sized chicken coop, only scaled down to house two or three birds instead of a whole flock. You'll still want to follow all the tips and tricks of designing and building a home for your chickens.

For example:

* Include adequate ventilation - Adding a window to your coop's design will make sure your birds get fresh air and stay healthy. Chickens don't like to be too hot or too cold, and ventilation will keep them comfortable.

* Build a perch - When they sleep, chickens like to be able to perch off the ground for safety in the wild. It's no different in captivity, so make sure they have somewhere they can feel safe while sleeping.

* Try adding a nesting box - Nesting boxes can encourage your hens to lay eggs in one place, which makes it much easier for you to collect them. This will also encourage some chickens to lay in the first place, as they will feel safer in the box.

In a small chicken coop, of course, you will also want to limit size. Don't go overboard and add all the convenient features you can think of. It is a good idea to be able to get into the coop yourself, though, as this makes cleaning much easier.

For construction materials, if your coop is outside you'll want to make sure that the walls are constructed of something solid that your birds can feel safe in. Coops with walls entirely of wire are not usually a good idea, as it will stress out your chickens. However, wire is good for keeping the external runs safe from predators, so don't discount that out of hand, either.

Kor Rassad is a chicken coop enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on small chicken coop, visit http://www.chickencoopadvice.com.