Buying chicken coops may seem like an easy task at first. But there are too many factors involved to make the decision in order to ensure that you have the right coop for your chickens. However, it is not an easy task as there are only two options, one is to DIY (Do it yourself) another one is ready-made.
You have to be determined what type of chicken coop you need. This is one of the main concerns of chicken coops that you need to consider before buying. So it is important to consider the following factors to buy the best chicken coop. At the same time, minimize the chicken coop cost for you.
What is Chicken Coop?
The chicken coop is a home that is specially made for chicken habitation. Chicken coops usually contain mesh, net, woods, and frames made of aluminum or steel.
You can find them on the internet or you can go to stores to buy them. But people who have experience in building different items can easily work on these. You can also call it a DIY project, and there are lots of videos on it. However, we are here to give you some ideas about what to consider before buying it.
Consider 7 Things Before Buying Chicken Coops
So, what are those factors that you should be considered? We have figured out 7 factors of your chicken coop buying checklist that you should consider before choosing the best chicken coops.
Count Your Chickens
Counting your chicken is perhaps one of the most important factors out there while considering buying a chicken coop. Chicken coops are the house of chickens where you want them to keep. And obviously, you won’t want to keep ten chickens in the housing space of five chickens, right? It would lead to many problems, including the risk of diseases to your chickens and problem with egg-laying. You won’t keep five chickens in the housing space of ten chickens either because it would be a waste of money for you.
So it is important to consider how many chickens you will be keeping in the coop. Also, look at the size of that chicken you wish to keep to find how big your chickens are. Some chickens are naturally getting bigger than other breeds. So, when you are selecting a chicken coop, remember that the size of that chicken coop mainly depends on the quantity and size of the chickens you have.
Where to Place
Before buying a chicken coop, you have to think about where the coop you want to place. Because few things really matter in this circumstance like, size adjustment and proper light and air ventilation are involved, etc. If you would like to buy a big chicken coop, but your backyard is not big enough, then it might be a problem.
The weather conditions also have to consider before choosing the place. It is essential to select a place where your chicken coops will have proper air ventilation and natural sunlight.
Chicken Coop Design
There are many priority aspects while selecting a coop for your chickens, but when buying a coop, many people often forget to consider the design of the coop. It might not look like an important factor to consider, but chicken coop design can impact the overall appearance of your backyard. There are different types of chicken coops found out there but always consider the one that will go with your backyard, garden, or farmhouse.
Easy Cleaning Accessibility
Easy cleaning accessibility is another major factor you should consider before buying a chicken coop. Make sure the coop can be opened and can be easily accessible for cleaning purposes. On chicken can produce on average 130 pounds of manure each year, and without cleaning, this manure can turn into mud, which is not good for chickens and can promote bumblefoot and internal parasites to your chickens.
Besides, cleaning accessibility is also required because chicken manure can be used for making fertilizer for the soil. So always consider the fact that you have to clean your chicken coop regularly, and for that, it should have easy cleaning accessibility.
Safety of the Chicken Coops
It is one of the main factors to think about before you buy a chicken coop. Many predators can get into your chicken coop both through the holes and crevices. And to make sure your chicken coop is safe.
You should encircle the area with wires and a mesh gauge. Bury the mesh into the ground with a four-inch to five-inch mesh above the ground. Use a concrete layer beneath the chicken coop for making extra protection for the coop. This concrete layer can prevent rodents from digging and attacking your chicken from beneath the coop.
For extra safety, you can also keep a dog in your coop area for alerting you in case of an unwanted visitor from outside approaches the chicken coop. A dog can also make sure that the chickens are not getting away in case you mistakenly let the coop door open.
Good Ventilation & Lighting
The chicken coop must need good ventilation and lighting. The main purpose of having a chicken coop is to get good and fresh eggs from your chicken. And to get good and fresh eggs, you have to make sure that the coop is getting enough sunlight light and fresh air ventilation. Lighting is important because it triggers the egg production of the chickens. Good lighting can in the coop improves the productivity of the chickens to give eggs earlier than usual during mid-winters.
On the other hand, newly born chicken also requires 24 hours lighting for keeping them warm and grow faster. And proper ventilation is required for avoiding ammonia buildup in the coop, which can be fatal to the chicken. During summer, fresh air circulation is required for avoiding gas build-up and maintaining coop temperature. These are some critical issues that you need to consider long before you buy a chicken coop.
Easy Setup Process
If you don’t have much expertise in DIY activities, then it might be hard for you to set up the coop by yourself. You might require to know how to start a chicken coop building on your lawn. It is recommended to buy a chicken coop that is easy to set up. Or you may find yourself messed up with lots of wood pieces. Besides, improper setup can reduce the lifetime of the coops. So it is best to find a coop that meets your requirement at the same time, which is easy to set up.
Also Read: How To Choose The Right Materials For A Long-Lasting And Easy-to-Maintain Chicken Coop
Final Thoughts
Now, as you know all the major and important factors to consider before buying a chicken coop. And, after reading the entire article it might not be a difficult task for you to select the best coop for your chickens. There are a great variety of chicken coop designs available in the market. But before buying one you should always think of the best possible choice.
