The Easiest Way To Construct A Hen House

Chickens need a warm place to live. They require a spot where their natural foes can’t break in and transport them and/or their young away into the night. They require refuge when the climate takes a nasty turn. You will want to make certain you build a snug coop as drafty ones are harmful for chickens. If you’ve never erected a chicken house previously, you'll be able to learn how to construct a good chicken coop.

Scout out the place where you intend to build a chicken house. Beginners frequently decide to make a coop without finding out about the ground saturation beforehand. In the event that the location tends to pool water, it is a poor spot to put up a coop.

Chickens need a dry place. You will need a level spot to build the hen house on, but never build a coop directly on the ground. Have you previously had a snake or rodent get into an outside building or shed? These same predators will very easily get inside chicken coops that are constructed flat on the ground no matter how much chicken fencing you put up round the coop.

Predators won't just turn up on the ground either. Hawks together with some other large birds will grab smaller chickens and take off with them. Any time the hens are outside of the hen house, they have to be shielded from these types of predators also.

Moisture inside a hen house isn’t healthy for hens. You’ll need to make certain you have some type of opening for air to stir through. Several chicken owners utilize a simple vent, whilst other chicken owners put in a screened window that will open up.

Individuals who take shortcuts carve a small hole in the plywood and nail a screen over that, however this is not the best idea. The ventilation opening must be one that may be shut in case of bad weather or perhaps designed so that rainwater and heavy drafts cannot get inside the building.

Because chickens can’t fly as well as other birds, ensure you do not put the perches too high from the ground where they could get hurt if they have a fall. Perches shouldn’t be built any higher than three to four feet from the ground.

Nesting boxes ought to be built lower than the perches (to prevent them from becoming the place the hens would rather sleep) and ought to be deep enough to make the chicken feel contented.

When constructing nesting boxes, always slant the top of it since chickens like to roost on the flat surface of the boxes. The reason for the slanted top is because if chickens rest on the top, as they do their business, you will end up with quite a build up of poop to constantly clean off.

Give the front of the nesting box a ledge so that the hen can easily balance there when getting in and out of the nest. Follow these instructions and you’ll have erected a hen house which withstands the test of time.

To learn more about constructing a chicken house, visit Raising Backyard Chickens.