11 Tips For Planning The Chook House

There are a great deal of considerations when planning out your chicken ark. Proper planning before you construct or buy your coops can save you quite a bit of aggravation down the road.  Lack of planning can lead to quite a bit of aggravation, time, and money spent turning a satisfying, healthy activity into a mess.

 

1. Size

How large of a chicken ark do you want or need? Chickens need breathing room to move about and you really can’t stuff them in there. It’s awful for their health and will reduce their egg production as well. It’s certainly better to have your coop bigger than you need rather than smaller. Remember to plan for the future as well – you may wish to increase the size of your flock.

 

2. Look

How do you want your chicken ark to look? They come in many different shapes and sizes and you should decide exactly how you want them to appear before going through all the trouble of laying in their new home. There are all manner of ways you can tailor the chicken ark. It can be as decorative or as unadorned as you wish and there are all types of extras you can add in. Preparation ahead of time will allow you to determine your needs better and will help you not to overspend. You will have a targeted price list with the costs of lumber, equipment, and added features already planned for.

 

3. Mobility

Do you want your chicken ark to be portable or fixed? Both have their pros and cons and it will be up to you to figure out which kind fills your needs.A portable chicken ark gives you mobility and adaptability. They can be moved around based on your situations such as weather, light, safety from predators, and even deciding a new plan for your backyard. They are also easier and more economical to create. A fixed chicken ark is more lasting and durable. A properly built fixed coop can last for quite a long time. You have more choices for customization and can freely decorate and plant around the ark having a section that can be quite pretty. Fixed coops are also far less limiting of size, allowing you to have a larger group in a single coop.

 

4. Landscaping

Where do you want to build your chicken ark? You need to judge the land where you will build your ark. Ideally you want the ground to be flat and even. So you must either choose a even area in your backyard or you will need to even out the land the ark will be sitting on.

 

5. Bottom

Like the foundation of a building, the base of your chicken ark should be solid and sturdy. There are several seperate ways to build the base as well as a assortment of various materials. You don’t want to cut corners here – you can lower costs in different ways rather than skimping on the foundation.

 

6. Climate and Weather

You must take environment into account when creating your chicken ark. If you dwell in a chilly climate – or have a cold season – your ark might need to be insulated to protect your birds. You should also cover up any windows in plastic to keep out the wind and rain. If your location gets a good amount of rainfall, you don’t want the coop to sit in an area that swamps or has bad drainage. A sand floor also permits better water drainage.

 

7. Light and Windows

Your chicken ark needs proper light. Your chickens will need to see and having windows facing the light will allow your chickens to be more productive in their egg laying efforts. You should also think about electric lights – especially if they can’t get enough from the windows or if you have longer dark periods.

 

8. Protection

Are there any predators in your area that might hunt your chickens? Your chicken ark should have enough protections from area predators which will influence construction and fencing. The fencing needs to be the right type or it won’t help.

 

9. Feeding and Watering

Feeder positioning in your chicken ark is imperative. The feeders need to be positioned at the appropriate height so they can get to the feed properly. The best height is about back level. If they can’t get the right amount of feed they might fight over feed, not eat, or peck excessively at their coop causing damage over time.Your waterier needs to be correctly positioned and constantly kept full of clean, fresh water so that the chickens can get enough water. The waterier should be centrally located so they can all drink their fill. In larger chicken coops, more than one waterier should be used. These need to be spaced out.

 

10. Extras

There are many styles of extras you can get for your chicken ark. Some of the most common are:

• Feeder – a quality feeder with simple access is best.
• Waterier – You should select a quality waterier.
• Nesting Boxes – These can actually be built from a range of materials. Just be sure they are relatively dim inside and made at an angle so the chickens don’t sleep on them.
• Perches – Chickens need perches to sleep on. Make sure there are enough so there is no fighting.

 

11. Source

You need to choose where you are going to get your chicken ark from. Do you purchase one prefabricated? Or do you build it yourself. Self made chicken arks have become very simple and low cost to build – even for newbies. All you need are the correct plans and instructions to get started. Building it yourself will also save you a lot in cost.