Posts Tagged ‘Cold Weather’
Of all of the animals that people can raise as pets, chickens are unique. Not only do you get a bird with a unique personality, you get fresh eggs too! Raising chickens contributes to your environmental care, by eating all types of garden pests and grass. They like your leftovers too but beware of garlic and onions, as they tend to make the eggs produced have a unique taste. Chickens are low maintenance pets as well and when you use good chicken house plans for their home, they will require very little.
If you are wondering if raising backyard chickens is for you, there are several considerations to be evaluated first:
Do you have the time? – While they only require less than a half hour a day in maintenance, this can be a deal breaker for some people.
Do you have the space? – When you’re building their chicken coop, it’s highly recommended that you have at least 6 square feet per bird, and the more, the better. Chickens are flock animals so it is also recommended to start out with at least three.
Are chickens allowed in your neighborhood? – You might live in a subdivision or town that has covenants against keeping chickens. Make sure you do your homework before investing any time or money.
Which chicken breed do I chose? – It really depends on the climate that you live in. There are chicken breeds like Langshans that are better suited for cold weather and Blue Andalusians that are hot weather suited. Do some research and find out what breed will work best for your region and your family.
So now you’ve decided that raising chickens is something you’d like to pursue. Now comes the fun part, building a chicken coop. All you need is basic carpentry skills and a good set of chicken house plans. While there are lots of free plans available on the Internet, you get what you pay for; so don’t scrimp on this step. For under $30, you will have an invaluable resource and one of the best can be found here.
Here are some final tips to consider before building the coop:
- The coop should be built in a spot that gets both shade and sun. Chickens get their Vitamin D from the sun so they plenty of access to it.
- The coop area needs to be in an area of the yard that drains well and stays dry.
- The coop should be well ventilated to prevent respiratory disease.
- Consider slanting the roof so it can send rainwater down into a barrel that provides drinking water for the chickens.
- It must be predator proof – use 15mm square wire mesh.
With chicken house plans in hand, in as little as a weekend or two, you can have your coop built and ready go. Building a backyard chicken coop will be one of the best investments you’ll ever make.
The act of building chicken coops is a daunting task. Unfortunately, it is not simple. Those who have tried it would tell you that it is quite difficult, especially if you don’t know where to start. There are some tips that you need to keep in mind if you are building chicken coops. Following my tips will help you succeed and build a wonderful chicken coop within some days.
The first thing that you need to do is to have a chicken coop plan. There are some plans that you can find online that include parts of the chicken house.A chicken coop plan would also give you the list of the materials you need in building chicken coops.
It is really important to keep your chicken healthy. This is why they need enough room and the coop needs to be big enough. The minimum size requirement is 4 sq. per chicken. Remember that small coops are not good for chickens. They need to be comfortable, so that chickens are able to lay eggs. In addition the material is quite important. By using high quality material your chicken coop will look a lot better. Another benefit of using high quality material is that it will withstand any climatic change
The chicken coop should have proper ventilation. Especially during the summer month this is extremely important. Also make sure that the chickens are warm during the cold weather. This can be done by insulating the walls. I know, this may sound funny, but do not forget windows and of course a door. This will help in the air circulation.
And at last, you also want to build a stand in which you can put the feeders and wateres. I know from my own experience that there will be a huge mess soon if you put the food on the ground
Prebuilt coops are really expensive. As you can see there is no real need ot buy one. I know building a chicken coop is not that easy, but if you have the right plans and a good blueprint you can do it yourself a lot cheaper
