What to consider when building your coop.
This was when we were building my first coop.
We have had a few chicken coops over the years. My first coop was absolutely amazing…and elaborate. I wanted to do all the things when I got started with chickens. It was lovely though! Since then (and now that we have around 150 chickens), I have chosen to focus more on practicality and what's really needed, while still adding some cute touches.
There are so many things to consider when deciding on what type of coop you want to build for your chickens. But to be straight to the point and to make it easy for you, these are the most important.
First you need to consider security. When the chickens are contained, they need to be safe from any potential predators, including (hopefully not) other pets at home such as a dog etc.
Space needs. Each chicken ideally should have 4 sq ft per bird when they are contained, unless they are only locked up at night and able to free range a larger area during the day.
Accessibility. You are going to need to be able to get in and clean the coop adequately and preferably easily. So, consider if you can get in with a shovel, rake etc. and move around without banging your head, shovel or whatever else.
Ventilation. Air quality is important for your chicken's respiratory health, so you want to have your coop properly ventilated. This means a cross breeze at all times if possible, while still being able to shelter your birds during harsher winter winds, rain or snow. You want a breeze to flow through but block the harsher winds, rains etc.
Placement of the nesting boxes and roosting bars. There are a lot of different designs, but mostly focus on making the nesting boxes a bit more private, out of the way and make sure each roosting bar is around 18inches from each other. The chickens will have a tough time moving around each other and settling in easily if it's too tight or the bars leave the chickens stacked on top of each other.
Environment. Do you live in a warmer climate with mild winters? Keep the hotter months in mind when designing your coop, meaning shade when it’s hot out, lots of ventilation and wind/rain protection in Winter. If you live in the opposite, then consider only enough ventilation to keep dampness under control and air quality healthy but build it enclosed in a way that will trap warmth more efficiently and keep the harsh Winter cold out.
Location. Lastly, you want to consider where you will build the coop. Chickens (like many farm animals) attract flies, so you may not want it too near your house. You also don't want it too far away so feeding and chores are easy to accomplish and also allows you to hear if something happens in the coop, such as a predator etc.
Like I said, there is a lot to consider when building your coop, but with a little forethought and planning, you can set yourself up for success from the beginning and have fun along the way!