How to build a chicken coop for different types of chicken will depend on different purposes that may be in mind. This article will describe a pen suitable for keeping about ten laying hens that will supply one household with a plentiful supply of fresh eggs.
Factory farmers are quite likely to squash two laying hens into a wire basket, so that the birds can hardly turn around. This is not only cruel, but also an unhealthy way of producing food. Hens like a little space where they can spread their wings and scratch in the sand. For about ten hens, a pen of twenty square meters would be most acceptable.
This is unspeakably cruel when one considers that a hen's idea of heaven is a patch of sand in which she can scratch, and ruffle through her feathers. This feature can be built into a hen house to keep hens happy.
An upmarket hen house can be built of wire and wood. A wire mesh of about six centimeters will be required, and poles and sheeting of some sort, either iron or plastic. If possible the end of the hen house may have a thatched roof, which will make it aesthetically a feature of the garden.
Poles should be sunk in the ground so that they define the basic shape of the coop. Two poles may be placed close together to support a gate, preferably tall enough to allow one to enter without having to stoop, or crawl. Entrances and exits will be effected frequently.
Hens will require a sheltered laying place at one end. Deep in their genes is the instinct to lay eggs in a secret place, so laying boxes should be placed on a ledge in the roofed section. Hens will enjoy hopping onto the ledge every morning before stepping quietly into a box to deposit an egg.
Bearing in mind that plump chickens are a basic food stuff not only for human beings, but also for foxes, weasels, dogs, cats, snakes and many others, the pen should be designed with security in mind. A trench of about sixty centimeters deep should be dug around the enclosure. The perimeter wire should be stretched to the bottom of the trench and held fast there by rocks or concrete. This will temporarily deter Mr Fox. The overhead wire mesh will foil the airborne attacks by birds of prey. That is how to build a chicken coop.
Factory farmers are quite likely to squash two laying hens into a wire basket, so that the birds can hardly turn around. This is not only cruel, but also an unhealthy way of producing food. Hens like a little space where they can spread their wings and scratch in the sand. For about ten hens, a pen of twenty square meters would be most acceptable.
This is unspeakably cruel when one considers that a hen's idea of heaven is a patch of sand in which she can scratch, and ruffle through her feathers. This feature can be built into a hen house to keep hens happy.
An upmarket hen house can be built of wire and wood. A wire mesh of about six centimeters will be required, and poles and sheeting of some sort, either iron or plastic. If possible the end of the hen house may have a thatched roof, which will make it aesthetically a feature of the garden.
Poles should be sunk in the ground so that they define the basic shape of the coop. Two poles may be placed close together to support a gate, preferably tall enough to allow one to enter without having to stoop, or crawl. Entrances and exits will be effected frequently.
Hens will require a sheltered laying place at one end. Deep in their genes is the instinct to lay eggs in a secret place, so laying boxes should be placed on a ledge in the roofed section. Hens will enjoy hopping onto the ledge every morning before stepping quietly into a box to deposit an egg.
Bearing in mind that plump chickens are a basic food stuff not only for human beings, but also for foxes, weasels, dogs, cats, snakes and many others, the pen should be designed with security in mind. A trench of about sixty centimeters deep should be dug around the enclosure. The perimeter wire should be stretched to the bottom of the trench and held fast there by rocks or concrete. This will temporarily deter Mr Fox. The overhead wire mesh will foil the airborne attacks by birds of prey. That is how to build a chicken coop.
About the Author:
A Backyard Chicken Coop isn't like just building some ordinary box. It can take careful planning and you must consider several areas prior to the constructing process begins. The correct Chicken Coop Blueprints will also be needed.. This article, How To Construct A Hen House For Laying Chickens has free reprint rights.
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