People around the country are rediscovering poultry farming to weather the economic downturn.
Chicks in the City
The “urban chicken movement” is accurate in places like Indianapolis, St. Louis, San Francisco, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Madison, Wisconsin. People ask their local governments and zoning boards for permission to raise chickens (occasionally roosters) in urban areas.
Keeping chickens in the middle of a city seems counterintuitive. The “back to earth” trend, which includes keeping chickens at home because fresh eggs are superior, is becoming increasingly popular.
Building a coop is the first step if you consider keeping chickens in your backyard. Constructing a chicken coop can be a low-cost and low-hassle project depending on your approach. If you want to raise your chickens, you should know a few things, and I’ve found them for you.
Logic and Reason
When planning your chicken coop, common sense will take a long way.
Make it simple to maintain. It is necessary to clean and disinfect areas where hens have been, as they leave behind excrement like any other outdoor animals. Ensure that you can enter the building without any trouble. Create a floor that can be easily cleaned with a hose. Skilled builders know to angle the foot toward an exit or entryway. That way, when you hose it down, the dirt and water drain out without you having to do anything!
Use construction materials that handle moisture, high heat, and frequent washings. Unlike plywood, chipboard, and drywall, steel, concrete, aluminum, and robust polymers are likely to endure. Simple to maintain and available in various sizes, vinyl windows are a cost-effective and practical addition to any chicken coop. The benefits of a corrugated steel roof are low cost, extreme durability, and a short installation time.
Design
When constructing a chicken house, it’s essential to think ahead. Make sure the design is clear and straightforward to use for material costs. At the very least, you must have a sketch or set of plans to work with while constructing anything.
The number of hens you intend to care for and the available housing space are crucial considerations. Just how many hens can you raise in your backyard? Obtaining this knowledge before building begins is highly recommended.
It’s essential to consider the surrounding community when constructing the city. While saving money during construction is understandable, remember that going the cheapest route could make your coop stand out for all the wrong reasons. You don’t want your backyard to look like a “hick barnyard” and cause tension with your neighbors. The more effort you put into maintaining a clean and attractive coop, your chickens will be better off.
Cover Up For Bad Weather
You’ll likely experience some climatic extremes wherever you are in the United States. Your chickens’ coop must withstand the full range of possible weather, from scorching temperatures in the desert Southwest to subzero snowstorms in the Northeast.
It’s essential that the doors and windows in your building function properly. Screens that are strong enough to withstand the elements and any animals that may wander through are necessary for proper air circulation. Your chickens will appreciate the warmth of the winter sun if you face the coop’s entrance southward in a chilly climate.
Wall and ceiling insulation is essential in both hot and cold climes. Proper insulation will prevent your birds from being exposed to dangerous temperature swings.
Ventilation plans should also be included in the construction process. Without enough ventilation, ammonia, and moisture from poultry feces can build up to dangerous levels. And make sure there are no drafts in the ventilation you give; you don’t want the chickens to get a cold night because of too much air circulation. But make sure your coop has adequate ventilation.
Build only on soil that has good drainage. Puddles and other persistent wet areas can make for a highly unsanitary setting when paired with bird feces.
You still need to protect your chickens from predators even if you live in the city. If left alone, your hens and eggs will be attacked by dogs, cats, raccoons, and other predatory animals looking for a nice snack. That’s why having well-fitting doors and windows is crucial to keep your chickens safe.
Shine a Light on Them
As was previously indicated, positioning the coop so that its windows face south will allow solar radiation to enter and be used for heating purposes. The chickens will provide their heat even in cold locations, but the coop needs to be airtight with correctly closed and latched windows and doors.
Electric light bulbs are essential for optimal egg production. In the autumn and winter, when the days are shorter, hens lay fewer eggs. Your chickens can be “inspired” to continue their summertime egg production with the help of just a couple of electric light bulbs.
Water And Food
If you put them in the right spots in the coop, commercially made food bowls and watering troughs will do an excellent job of keeping your hens healthy. In addition to the feeders, many people scatter grain on the ground (in a contained area) of the yard when feeding chickens. When on the floor, why? Chickens have a natural drive to “scratch” for food, and stifling this behavior can lead to nutritional issues. Mount the feed bowl at a height nearly equivalent to a chicken’s back, as this is the distance most commercial food makers recommend. That way, they won’t be able to scratch and make a mess while eating.
Like most other animals, chickens require a constant supply of clean water, so make sure the watering bowls are at an appropriate height. A simple water bowl should suffice if you only have one or two birds. If you have a large flock of birds, you may wish to invest in a semi-automatic watering system in which a bladder or tank is filled, and the water in the bowls is kept at a steady level throughout the day.
A chicken house isn’t hard to construct. Remembering these essential elements, you should have a prosperous business in no time.
Cost? Depending on how elaborate I wanted the structure, I’ve constructed coops for as little as $20 and as much as $400. Some of the best cells I’ve made were formerly someone else’s, which I tore down, repurposed, and improved upon.
Start your backyard coop and participate in the “Urban Chicken Movement”! I want to learn how to construct a chicken coop to start my flock.
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