If you are just starting out with chicken housing, and you want to own only 2 to 3 chickens, you should consider building a small chicken house. It is a perfect solution for people that want eggs only for them and their family. Small chicken house plan doesn’t require a lot of materials to build, and it is very easy to put together. These are the two biggest advantages of small chicken coops, low price and easy construction. But, don’t be fooled by the straightforwardness of this kind of plans, there are still few things you have to know before you dive into the building process.
Create enough space
Ok, so this chicken house is supposed to be small, but what does small actually mean? The fact is that there are many answers to this question, and most of the chicken breeders have their own take on this matter.
The advice that is given to the majority of beginners is to give about 3 to 5 square feet per chicken inside the coop and 10 in the chicken run. Such proportions will guarantee that your feathered friends remain in a good condition.
Let some light in
The next thing that is very important are windows. Right windows are what separates a productive chicken flock from a one that isn’t. Don’t provide your chickens with about 14 hours of sunlight each day, and they will lay less or won’t lay any eggs. It is a very important part of your chicken house plans.
Windows should be big and positioned so they face the sunrise every morning. This will give your chickens light from the very beginning of the day. Another purpose of windows is ventilation. Well planned windows will provide air circulation which, will help to dissolve bad smells and bring fresh air into the coop.
Increase the protection
So, you know how to build a chicken coop, however, have you made sure your chickens are safe? Because of the small size, small chicken houses are often a target for predators as they look easy to force. Therefore, if you take security of your chickens seriously, make sure the environment they are living in, is safe.
The first thing you should do is surround your chicken house with a fence that is dug 15 inches into the ground. This straightforward modification is enough to keep your chickens safer. The next thing you should do is raise your chicken house around 2 feet above the ground. This should be enough to keep the smaller predators away.
Something I tell to every person that wants to increase the safety of their chicken house is, to find out every predator that lives in their region. Knowing what is the favourite way such an animal may attack, you are able to increase the security of your chicken house accordingly.
As you can see there are some disadvantages to having a small chicken house. However, if you want to house chickens just to get eggs for yourself and your family, it is a perfect solution. So don’t get discouraged by these small problems you will face along the way.
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